Deputies Asen Dimitrov, Xavier Santiago, Joseph Alvord, Jeffrey MacDonald (not pictured), Corrections Sergeant Sabrina E. McMahan,
and Corrections Deputy Aleksandra Yefremova pictured with Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman
Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman presented several awards during a ceremony Thursday to recognize employees who demonstrated exemplary service to their community.
Corrections Deputies Asen Dimitrov, Xavier Santiago, Joseph Alvord, and Jeffrey MacDonald (not pictured) received the Life Saving Award for their actions on December 9, 2022. Upon arrival at the Sarasota County Correctional Facility, Venice Police Department called for assistance with an individual who was unresponsive in the back of the patrol car. Immediately, Santiago, Alvord, and Dimitrov responded. Dimitrov and Santiago pulled the victim out of the patrol vehicle and started CPR while Alvord retrieved the defibrillator and a bag valve mask to assist with breaths. MacDonald arrived on the scene with Narcan received from a patrol deputy. MacDonald administered the Narcan. The victim started breathing independently and was taken to the hospital. Had the deputies not responded as quickly as they did, the victim would most likely not have survived.
Corrections Sergeant Sabrina E. McMahan and Corrections Deputy Aleksandra Yefremova received the Life Saving Award for their actions on October 20, 2022. McMahan and Yefremova were alerted by inmates that assistance was needed on the cellblock. Both observed an inmate hunched over and experiencing a medical emergency. Deputies secured the area, and McMahan entered to render aid within one minute of the call for help. McMahan assessed the inmate and recognized that she was suffering from airway obstruction. The Sergeant called for assistance by radio and administered abdominal thrusts, which dislodged the obstruction. The prompt actions of the sergeant and deputy resulted in a successful attempt to save the life of this citizen.
“With training and dedication, these officers were prepared for a challenging situation,” said Sheriff Hoffman. “We are proud of their work every day and even more so when the life of a citizen is saved.”