Placer County deputy saves man from overdose while investigating burglary alarm

A deputy sheriff dispatched to investigate a burglary alarm saved a man from an opiate overdose earlier this month.

According to a Monday news release posted to the Placer County Sheriff’s office Facebook, the deputy was dispatched to a Colfax gas station following a silent burglary alarm triggered just before 7 p.m. on June 3.

When the deputy arrived on the scene, a woman flagged down the deputy, alerting him to an unresponsive man in the passenger seat of a parked vehicle. According to the release, the deputy checked the pulse and breathing of the man, but was unable to find any sign of life.

Noticing the needle still in the man’s hand, the deputy administered agency-issued Narcan and performed 20 chest compressions on the man before he was able to find a pulse.

After medical personnel arrived on the scene, the deputy continued to assist, opening the man’s airway and using a bag valve mask to perform CPR.

The man eventually regained consciousness and was taken to a nearby hospital.

“We commend the deputy for his quick thinking and efforts to revive the male who may have otherwise passed away,” the release said. “We hope this incident served as a wake-up call for him.”

According to the release, medical staff confirmed that evening that the man had been discharged from the hospital.

This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 6:00 AM.