An East Helena police officer was recently honored for helping to resuscitate a man involved in a vehicle crash.
East Helena Police Officer Chris Kirkegaard, right, is honored by Chief Mike Sanders at a recent council meeting.Â
On June 11 at about 1:41 p.m., Officer Chris Kirkegaard responded to a dispatch call of of a one-car rollover at mile marker 51 on U.S. Highway 12 East, officials said.
When he arrived, he saw emergency medical service personnel on scene. It turned out the EMS unit was transporting a patient to St. Peter’s Health and came upon the vehicle accident.
Kirkegaard said the male driver was still pinned inside the Honda Accord and his face was bluish. Kirkegaard and EMS personnel pried the door open and were able to remove the male driver from the vehicle, officials said.
Kirkegaard determined the male driver was not breathing, started chest compressions and completed over 10 rounds of 30 compressions while the EMS personnel were administering oxygen.
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The male driver began to breathe and was still alive June 14 when Kirkegaard contacted St Peter’s Health, East Helena officials said.
The city of East Helena and the East Helena Police Department honored Kirkegaard with a Lifesaving Award, which includes a certificate and a lifesaving pin to wear on his uniform.
Staff Writer Phil Drake can be reached at phil.drake@helenair.com or 406-231-9021.
