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SBPD officers save overdose patient two days in a row

SBPD NARCAN NASAL SPRAY 7-29-21.jpg
SBPD OFFICERS AMEZQUITA PRELESNIK 7-29-21.jpg
OFFICERS MARQUEZ MCBETH 7-29-21.jpg
Posted at 3:54 PM, Jul 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-29 18:54:13-04

Santa Barbara Police Department officers gave crucial medication to an overdose patient on July 25, saving the individual's life.

In less than 24 hours, they did it all over again.

Around 4 a.m. on Sunday, July 25, a community member called 911, saying that a person in a convenience store restroom was not breathing.

The convenience store was located in the 300 block of West Montecito St. in Santa Barbara. Police say the dispatcher taking the call gave medical response instructions to the community member over the phone.

Officers Amezquita and Prelesnik responded to the call with lights and sirens. They arrived on the scene ahead of paramedics.

After the officers identified the signs of an opioid overdose, they administered Narcan, a nasal spray, to the unresponsive individual.

The individual started breathing again. When paramedics arrived, they took the patient to Cottage Hospital.

Police say they found opioid narcotic paraphernalia in the restroom.

The next day, around 1 a.m., Santa Barbara Police responded to another call about the same individual. It happened at the same location.

This time, Officers Marquez and McBeth responded.

They were the first responders to arrive. Police say they saw the individual, who had stopped breathing and was slightly blue, showed signs of an opioid overdose. The officers gave the individual a second dose of Narcan and started rescue breathing.

Paramedics arrived, and the individual began to breath on their own before being taken to Cottage Hospital for medical treatment.

Police have not released the individual's identity.