by Collier County Sheriff’s Office
COLLIER COUNTY, FL – A 65-year-old bicyclist is alive thanks to two CCSO deputies and citizens who came to his aid after he fell and hit his head.
“I am very proud these deputies were able to apply their training and initiative when it was needed the most,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. “Their life-saving actions reflect the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s commitment to the safety of our community.”
Sgt. Nicholas LoCasto and Deputy Kristen Foley were dispatched to a medical emergency involving a man who fell off his bike in the Palm River community about 7 p.m. Sunday.
When they arrived the man was in the middle of the road with a group of people around him. He was unconscious and not breathing. He also had a head injury and was bleeding significantly.
Sgt. LoCasto began chest compressions on the man, while Deputy Foley deployed her CCSO-issued automated external defibrillator (AED). Deputy Foley and Sgt. LoCasto continued providing lifesaving measures until paramedics arrived and took over treatment.
“The neighborhood really pitched in,” Sgt. LoCasto said. “They ran out and surrounded him to protect him from traffic. One neighbor, a nurse, performed chest compressions. I was impressed.”
Paramedics transported the man, who had regained a pulse and was breathing on his own, to a local hospital. He was awake and alert about a half hour later when Deputy Foley went to see him at the hospital.
Later, the deputies discovered they had a special connection with the man, a former New York City Fire Department member who served in 9/11. Both Sgt. LoCasto and Deputy Foley both served on the New York Police Department before joining CCSO.
“It made the hair on my arms stand up when I found out,” Sgt. LoCasto said.
Deputy Foley added, “We are the only two former NYPD cops on the shift in our district. What are the chances?”
Sgt. LoCasto and Deputy Foley will be nominated for a CCSO Life Saving Award. The award honors deputies who render life-sustaining rescue efforts to a person whose life is in immediate jeopardy