By Bill Novak
The Capital Times
MADISON, Wis. — A Madison police officer is being credited with saving the life of a 19-year-old McFarland man who had overdosed on heroin by administering cardio-cerebral resuscitation to the man who had no pulse and wasn’t breathing.
The incident happened at about 4 p.m. Wednesday in a parking lot in the 1000 block of East Washington Avenue, police said.
The victim was a passenger in a car driven by a 21-year-old McFarland man who also admitted to using heroin, said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.
According to the driver, the victim became unresponsive while they were traveling on East Washington, so the driver pulled into the lot and pulled the victim from the car, telling the responding officer he didn’t know why the victim was unresponsive.
“The officer performed chest compressions for three to five minutes, and shortly before EMS arrived he began taking breaths,” said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.
Paramedics administered Narcan and took the victim to a local hospital, where he admitted overdosing on heroin.
“The driver was arrested for obstructing after failing to provide the first responders with information about what was happening to his friend,” DeSpain said.
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