CALGARY, Canada (Reuters) - Paramedics in western Canada helped save a man in Scotland from dying of a drug and alcohol overdose after being alerted by a Canadian who had learned of the man's condition while in an Internet chat room.

A Web surfer in Calgary, Alberta called the 911 emergency number and told the local dispatcher a Scottish man was asking for help in the chat room after taking an overdose of Valium and alcohol while depressed, Calgary Emergency Medical Service said.

The man was said to be having difficulty typing and was slurring his words while speaking on his computer's microphone. The Canadian was able to get the Scot's telephone number.

After receiving the call Thursday, the Calgary dispatcher contacted Scottish police, who located the man and transported him by ambulance to a hospital in Bannockburn, northwest of Edinburgh, where he was treated.

``I'm not sure of any other agencies that have had to work with callers and placing ambulances in other countries,'' Calgary EMS spokesman Doug Odney said. ``Someone in Calgary was aware of someone in a chat room, and once they started determining where he was, the way to activate it was by calling us. So we're glad we were able to help.''

Odney said it was the second time Calgary paramedics helped locate someone outside the country, the last time being last year in Oregon.

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), October 21, 2000