In a lucky turn of events, a man’s life was saved thanks to the quick action of a Monroe County deputy who happened to be in the right place at the right time.
At 9:30AM, Tuesday, September 16, in Maybee, Michigan, Monroe County Deputy James Liedel was on patrol when he received an emergency call. A 55-year-old man at Bana Lumber had been stung by a bee and was suffering from a severe allergic reaction.
Liedel, who carries his own epinephrine auto-injector for personal use, arrived on the scene before medical first responders. He found the man unconscious on the ground, struggling to breathe. Without hesitation, Deputy Liedel rolled the man over and administered the epinephrine auto-injector.
Within seconds, the life-saving injection took effect, and the man began to breathe again.
“The doctors that treated the individual after he was transported to the hospital confirmed that his actions, had he not been there as promptly as he was and administered an EpiPen like he carried, the outcome could have been grave if not fatal,” said Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough.
The sheriff praised Liedel’s heroic actions. “So, you know, we applaud Deputy James Liedel. He’s a great employee, always goes above and beyond, and at this point, we’re very grateful that: One, he was in close proximity; Two, that he had an EpiPen in his possession and was able to render that aid.”
The man was transported to the hospital, where doctors confirmed he recovered thanks to Liedel’s swift and decisive actions.
Here is footage of the event from Deputy Liedel’s bodycam [Trigger Warning]:
We commend Deputy Liedel for his quick action that may have saved a man’s life, and we hope he will be compensated so he can replace his personal auto-injector.
We support laws that require all first responders to have access to stock epinephrine and receive training on when and how to use it. Epinephrine is the only medication that can halt and reverse the progress of anaphylaxis, a severe and life-threatening allergic reaction to food, drugs, insect venom, or environmental substances like latex, but it needs to be given quickly to be most effective.
