It's been over a year since the new hyperbaric unit at the Wigmore hospital went into operation.

The unit was not going to be part of the Wigmore, until many local supporters lobbied the provincial government to keep the oxygen chamber in Moose Jaw, where it serves patients from all over the province.

One of those patients was Moose Jaw's Scott Smith, who barely survived a south hill house fire in February, thanks in part to the hyperbaric chamber.

He thanked the people - and equipment - responsible for saving his life after an attempt to make lunch went awry.

"But after I put that pot of oil on the stove the next thing I remember was waking up in the intensive care unit in the Regina General Hospital. From what I was told, I was in an induced come for eight days. My family filled me in and especially how the hyperbaric chamber in Moose Jaw saved my life."

Smith believed that he would not of had the same recovery without it and wanted attendees who had a part in keeping the hyperbaric chamber in Moose Jaw to know what it meant to him to have access to it.

"The hyperbaric chamber is truly a life saving device and I'm thankful for the people in this room that had the intuition and the knowledge to make the right decision."

Smith says even though he almost died, he calls the incident "a series of fortunate events".

"Unfortunate would of meant that the men and women of the emergency response team wouldn't have gotten to my house in less than 4 minutes. And unfortunate would of meant that the men and women of the Dr.Fred H. Wigmore Regional Hospital wouldn't of been so caring, compassionate and capable."

Smith was inside his Lillooet Street home when it caught fire in February.