WALDEN – A 22-year-old Walden man’s life was saved on Christmas day thanks to the fast work of Walden police officers and a passing motorist who tipped them off to a man passed out behind the wheel of a car on Bank Street.
Officers Christopher Heimink and Craig Dudas were a half block away when dispatched to the call. They found the car at the intersection of Main Street with the unresponsive driver behind the wheel.
The officers made sure the vehicle could not roll away and then removed the driver. His skin color was blue and his breathing was extremely shallow.
Seeing the signs of a drug overdose, they administered four doses of Narcan, the pharmaceutical that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses, and gave rescue breaths. Within minutes, the man regained consciousness and was transported to the hospital for evaluation.
The police have one concern about the supply of Narcan. “Opioid overdoses in our community are all too common,” said Walden Sgt. Eric Metzger. “While the Naloxone that the Village of Walden Police Department uses has always been supplied at no cost, there is a fear that one day the funding will no longer be there.”
