FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:  October 24, 2018

Contact: Erin Opsahl

(970) 423-8901

Erin.Opsahl@SummitCountyCO.Gov

DEPUTIES AND FIRST RESPONDERS AWARDED FOR SAVING A LIFE

    SUMMIT COUNTY, CO – On Friday, October 26, 2018, Summit County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, Mariah Kroschel and Ryan Hosier will be the recipients of Life Saving Medals for the immediate actions they performed on September 20, 2018. First responders from Summit Fire and EMS, Keystone Emergency Services and Summit County Ambulance along with members of the Keystone Grounds Crew and an off duty paramedic will each be awarded a Sheriff’s Commendation for their combined selfless acts that helped save the life of a man. 

On September 20, 2018 at approximately 3:23 p.m., Deputies Kroschel and Hosier were on duty working DUI enforcement. While driving on Highway 6 near the intersection of Landfill Road, Kroschel was flagged down by members of the Keystone Grounds Crew who were in contact with a male who appeared to be having a heart attack and was unconscious and not breathing inside of a vehicle. After the male was helped out of the vehicle, Kroschel realized that he did not have a pulse. Kroschel began CPR and had a member of the Keystone Grounds Crew retrieve her AED from her patrol vehicle. Upon arriving on scene, Deputy Hosier took over CPR allowing Kroschel to administer the AED which resulted in the man regaining consciousness. 

Medical personnel responded and transported the male to Saint Anthony Summit Medical Center where he was evaluated and eventually transported to a hospital in Denver via Flight for Life. Hosier received a phone call later that evening from the male’s son who shared that the efforts on scene helped saved his father’s life as it was confirmed that he did suffer a heart attack. 

Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons stated, “It is my great pleasure to honor these two deputies and first responders in our organizations who give their all every day in serving and protecting our community. These Deputies used the skills they receive from training and immediately began working to save a life. I am so very proud of Deputy Kroschel and Hosier for their life saving actions.”

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office criteria for a life saving medal is saving a life by an action that if not performed, would beyond a reasonable doubt have resulted in the death of a person. A Sheriff’s Commendation is awarded to citizens or employees who maintain composure when confronted with a highly volatile situation and continue to perform well in accordance with acceptable standards of conduct or, for an act of selfless conduct by an employee or citizen during a time of crisis or emergency. 

The awards ceremony will be held on October 26 at 12 noon at Summit Fire and EMS Station 8 at 222 Lake Dillon Drive in Dillon. 

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