West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station deputies are being credited with saving the life of a 26-year-old man who attempted suicide on Oct. 28.
A friend went to the victim’s residence in the 8400 block of Fountain Avenue at approximately 8:25 a.m. and found the man unresponsive. He called 911 and deputies arrived minutes later, said Lt. Bill Moulder. They saw a large amount of blood and found the victim lying on the bathroom floor with a deep laceration to his wrist, he said.
“They immediately applied a tourniquet to his arm to stop the bleeding, not knowing if it was in time,” Moulder said. “[Paramedics] arrived and treated him. They said if the deputies hadn’t taken that action, he probably wouldn’t have survived.”
Moulder said the man was taken to a hospital and is still recovering. He added that the situation illustrates how quick thinking on the part of everyone involved played a role in a positive outcome.
That started with the friend who called authorities and reached Jose Mere, a sheriff’s department law enforcement technician who was working as a dispatcher and fielded the 911 call, Moulder said.
“He does an outstanding job,” Moulder added.
Moulder said Sgt. Tanner Sanchez and deputies Oscar Soriano, Jackylyn Artiga, Brendan Alvarez and Byron Holloway, who was supervising Mere, also deserve credit for saving the man’s life.
“The deputies are trained for emergency situations but every one is different,” Moulder said. “They took action and saved his life, and that’s what’s important.”
The sheriff’s department is also using the incident to highlight suicide prevention resources. Help is available through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800)273-8255.
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