On the evening of December 21, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a medical call in the area of Perkinsville Road and mile marker 11 near Chino Valley where two hunters alerted 911 to a man lying next to his quad vehicle.
A Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) deputy arrived to find a 45-year-old Chino man was conscious, alert, and verbal but suffering from a fractured leg. However, while an ambulance was arriving on the scene, the male began convulsing, bleeding from the mouth, and required life saving measures after his heart stopped.
Because of the drastic turn of events, the YCSO deputy immediately called for a medical helicopter (medivac) and established a landing zone using LED road markers that YCSO has begun issuing to night shift deputies over the last year. He then guided in the helicopter to the location using the state-wide mutual aid radio channel that connects public safety personnel. The medivac landed on scene and airlifted the male subject to Flagstaff Medical Center. The cause of what lead to the male subject having such a drastic decline in his medical state is unknown at this time, however the medics believed he may have suffered a stroke.
The medivac pilot commended the YCSO deputy for the help they received by radio and stated that the LED markers used to mark the landing zone made it very easy for them to find and land.
“I too commend the quick action and forethought by the deputy to get medical help and to assist the medivac in landing”, said Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes. “The teamwork between deputies and medical personnel certainly saved this man’s life.”