Walterboro City Police officer, Sgt. Ross Hantz observed a vehicle swerving and made a traffic stop on Green Pond Hwy. at Beachwood Road on December 13th. During the stop, he noticed the adult male slumped over in the car. Upon further investigation, he found the man unconscious and not breathing in the front seat of the vehicle. Two other City Police Officers, Lee Riley and Justin Pinckey, arrived on the scene and assisted Hantz to remove the man from the car. Firefighter-Paramedics from Medic 1 arrived and began advanced resuscitative efforts, including airway management, medications, and defibrillation. The man was rapidly transported the short distance to the Emergency Room at Colleton Medical Center where Dr. Martin and his team continued to work on the man. He was successfully resuscitated, then flown by CARE Flight to Trident Medical Center in North Charleston, where he received critical cardiac care and spent nearly a week in the ICU. He has been discharged and should be home for Christmas. God works in great ways. He placed Hantz at the right place to observe what was more than likely a driver suffering from a medical problem and the officers recognized the life-threatening problem and acted appropriately. Had this not happened, the man could have easily crashed on a rural section of Green Pond Hwy with very different results. Early CPR, in this case, immediate CPR, has proven to save lives. This is a great example of the full team effort working for the benefit of the patient. The man can now return home to his family for the holidays. A great present for Christmas and a tribute to some fast-acting responders.
For more information visit colletonfire.com
