Deputies, nurse honored for saving inmate who overdosed

Five members of the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office were recognized recently for helping save the life of a jail inmate who suffered a drug overdose.

Deputies William Truby, Jonathan Chang, Chelsey Norin, Brett Matthiesen and registered nurse Nicole Walker were honored with the Sheriff’s Office Lifesaving Award by Sheriff Christy Knowles in a ceremony on March 20.

According to Knowles:

At about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 28,

an inmate in the Ozaukee County Jail was found unconscious lying partially on his bunk. The inmate was unresponsive, not breathing, and his lips had turned blue.

Truby, Chang, Norin and Matthiesen responded to the emergency and were told by other inmates that the unresponsive inmate had ingested a narcotic.

Recognizing the inmate’s symptoms as a possible opioid overdose, they removed the inmate from his bunk and positioned him on the floor where they worked as a team to provide chest compressions and rescue breaths during CPR, which lasted about 10 minutes.

Three doses of Narcan were applied to counteract the effects of the opioids, while Walker provided breaths and directed the medical efforts of the deputies.

The inmate started to respond and breathe on his own again.

By then, Port Washington Fire and EMS responded and transported the inmate to the hospital.

Immediately after the inmate was transported to the hospital, Walker identified another inmate who was also experiencing symptoms of an overdose.

She provided a dose of Narcan to that inmate, who was also transported to the hospital.

“The lifesaving measures taken by Deputy Truby, Deputy Chang, Deputy Norin, Deputy Matthiesen and RN Nicole Walker were critical in the preservation of this inmate’s life,” Knowles said presenting the awards.