Santa Barbara County deputies rescue homeless man

August 27, 2020

Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies managed to rescue a 56-year-old homeless man experiencing a drug overdose in Isla Vista on Saturday by administering the opioid-combating medication Naloxone.

At about 2 p.m., a 911 caller reported a man was lying unresponsive in front of the community center in Isla Vista. At the time, two civilians were attempting to perform CPR on the person, according to the county sheriff’s office.

When deputies arrived, they relieved the two men and determined the victim had a very weak pulse and was taking occasional agonal breaths. The deputies also noticed the man’s face was purple, and his eyes were rolled back into his head.

The deputies determined the victim was suffering from a drug overdose, and one deputy administered a single dose of Naloxone in the man’s nostril.

Paramedics then arrived, provided care, loaded the man onto a gurney and wheeled him into an ambulance. While being wheeled into the ambulance, the homeless man suddenly regained consciousness, sat up and began speaking with paramedics.

Sheriff’s patrol and custody deputies began using Naloxone in 2017. Deputies undergo Naloxone training, which is reviewed annually.

Since deputies began using Naloxone, sheriff’s personnel have administered the medication 32 times, with 29 of those instances resulting in the saving of a life. Thus far in 2020, deputies have administered Naloxone six times, with each attempt succeeding, according to the sheriff’s office.