Sheriff Knight Presents Life Saving Awards

                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                 NEWS RELEASE 17-190 - AUGUST 10, 2017

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                                                                                    Sergeant Nichols, Deputies Sell, Perozo, Martin, and Egoville, and Sheriff Knight

Sheriff Tom Knight today presented five deputies with the Life Saving Award to recognize their merit and dedication to duty and service to the community.

Sergeant Robert Nichols and Deputy Shaun Martin are recognized for their proactive investigation and exemplary performance in attempting to locate a missing and endangered woman, and resuscitating her when they found her unconscious. In May, the woman was listed as missing and endangered after making suicidal statements. Deputy Martin received information that the woman had recently purchased and reactivated a new phone. He quickly worked to get a ping on her location through her service provider which indicated she was somewhere in the area of State Road 64 and I-75 in Manatee County. Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the area but were unsuccessful in locating her. With the accuracy of the ping, Lieutenant Hayes and Sergeant Nichols agreed that her vehicle was most likely at a motel in the area. Lieutenant Hayes authorized both Sergeant Nichols and Deputy Martin to drive into Manatee County to try and track her down. Deputy Martin very quickly found her vehicle parked at a hotel in Bradenton. Sergeant Nichols immediately made contact with management to gain access to her room, but the door was locked. Based on the circumstances, Sergeant Nichols made the executive decision to break the window of her motel room. Upon entry, the bathroom door was also closed and locked from the inside; however, deputies were able to breach the door to find the woman inside. She was unconscious, submerged in an overflowing bathtub, with several pill bottles nearby. With quick action, Sergeant Nichols began administering rescue breaths, while Deputy Martin administered one dose of his agency-issued naloxone. After several more rescue breaths, she began to breathe on her own as Manatee County EMS responded. By the time she was transported, her condition had already begun improving. Had it not been for the diligent investigation, thoughtful leadership, thorough follow up, and life-saving efforts of Sergeant Robert Nichols and Deputy Shaun Martin, the woman would certainly not be alive today. Both men went above and beyond the call of duty to save a life.

Deputy Anthony Egoville is recognized for his effort in successfully bringing a woman back to life after she overdosed on heroin. Deputy Egoville was first to arrive on scene where he found the 29-year-old woman unresponsive and immediately deployed his agency-issued naloxone. He quickly reassessed her status and deployed a second dose of naloxone after noticing she was still in distress. The woman regained consciousness and was transported by the Sarasota County Fire Department to the hospital. Thanks to Deputy Egoville’s swift action, the patient was given another chance at life and personally told him how grateful she was for his efforts.

Deputies William Sell and Esterlin Perozo are recognized for their haste in taking action to revive a 24-year-old woman who was suffering from an opioid overdose. Deputies were dispatched to a call for a woman who was unresponsive. Deputy Sell responded and was on scene in less than 30 seconds to find the patient unconscious, not breathing, and without a pulse. He deployed one dose of his agency-issued naloxone while Deputy Perozo arrived on scene and began monitoring her condition. When the first dose did not appear to working, Deputy Perozo deployed a second dose of his naloxone. The woman’s pulse returned and she began taking shallow breaths. The Sarasota County Fire Department arrived on scene where they administered additional medication and were able to stabilize her within a short period of time. Deputy William Sell and Deputy Esterlin Perozo demonstrated their dedication to their community by putting service before self and saving the life of a woman in need.