POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida Highway Patrol trooper is being praised by the agency for his lifesaving efforts after finding a motorcyclist lying on a sidewalk.
According to a news release, Trooper Joseph Santos was traveling along Country Club Road, near Brassie Lane, on Sept. 30 when he spotted a motorcycle lying next to the curb with the rider lying on the sidewalk.
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The trooper made contact with the 42-year-old man on the sidewalk but he was not completely responsive, according to the release.
The man became unconscious and started turning purple, prompting Santos to remove the man’s helmet thinking that it may be restricting his breathing, FHP said. When that did not work, the trooper went to retrieve the automated external defibrillator, or AED, from his cruiser, the release said.
Santos began CPR, performing chest compressions on the 42-year-old while waiting for Polk County Fire Rescue to arrive for assistance, FHP said. The trooper managed to get the motorcyclist breathing again, according to the release.
According to FHP, the man has since been able to make a full recovery. The agency credits the trooper’s swift actions with saving the motorcycle rider’s life.
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