Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith reports that a Patterson man was revived from an apparent narcotics overdose thanks to the life-saving actions of sheriff deputies and paramedics.
At about seven o’clock on Tuesday evening, September 5th, sheriff deputies and paramedics were dispatched to a 911 call from a residence on Concord Road in Patterson. The caller reported that another person in the house was unconscious as the result of a suspected drug overdose.
Sheriff’s Sergeant Matthew Monroe, Deputy Kevin Osika and Deputy Christopher Irwin arrived at the house first and found an unresponsive male in the garage who exhibited signs of an opioid overdose. The deputies administered four nasal spray doses of the opioid antidote naloxone–also known by the brand name Narcan®–to the victim to counteract the drug effects. Moments later, EMStar Paramedic’s Sarah Baker and Kate Frische arrived on the scene and they administered more naloxone to the victim intravenously.
The Sheriff reminds residents that the State Health Department has made naloxone available to the public at pharmacies without a prescription, but he added a caveat: “Naloxone can save lives from overdoses and can give a person a second chance, but of course it isn’t a cure for opioid addiction. It is up to the person who gets that second chance to use the opportunity to seek professional treatment of his or her addiction.”