 - Three Lander Police Department officers received Lifesaving Awards last week formally commending them for the “exceptional actions” they took while responding to a medical emergency July 21.){kind=link}
(Lander, WY) – Three Lander Police Department officers received Lifesaving Awards last week formally commending them for the “exceptional actions” they took while responding to a medical emergency on July 21.
The emergency involved a 25-year-old community member who was “attempting to take his own life,” LPD Chief Kelly Waugh told the Lander City Council last week.
When LPD Officers Ethan Borchardt and Jason Hanson arrived at the scene, Waugh said they saw what the man was doing and “were quick to move – quick to get him down onto the ground.”
At that point, Waugh said the man wasn’t breathing, so Borchardt and Hanson started cardiopulmonary resuscitation and began using an automated external defibrillator (AED) on the patient.
LPD Officer Shawn McRae – a paramedic – also responded to the scene to provide further assistance, Waugh said, and through “their diligent actions and their work,” all three officers “were able to get a pulse” on the subject.
“They were able to get him back breathing before medics arrived,” Waugh said. “(They) got him into an ambulance, got him to our hospital, and got him life-flighted out.”
The man was scheduled to be released from the hospital last week, Waugh noted, adding that the patient suffered “zero brain damage” or other “after-effects” from the incident.
“He’s making a 100 percent full recovery – and that would have never happened without these three,” Waugh said. “Their actions literally saved this young man’s life.”
All three officers received a red and white life-saving pin for their dress uniforms last week, along with a letter of commendation, which Waugh read aloud during the council meeting.
“Your calm demeanor, sound judgment, and proficient application of life-saving techniques were instrumental in a time of crisis for a family,” Waugh said. “Your response reflects the highest standards of law enforcement service and demonstrates professionalism, compassion, and dedication well beyond normal expectations. In a moment of extreme stress, you relied on your training and experience to act decisively, embodying the core mission of this department to protect and serve the community of Lander and Fremont County. Your conduct on this incident brings great credit to yourself, this department, and the law enforcement profession as a whole. …Thank you for your continued commitment and excellence to service.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide or is in emotional distress, help is available – call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline any time, 24 hours a day, or visit 988lifeline.org for additional resources.