Deputies talk suicidal man down from bridge in South El Monte


SOUTH EL MONTE >> Deputies spent more than an hour persuading a suicidal man to climb down from a pedestrian bridge spanning a 60 Freeway offramp in South El Monte Friday, officials said.
The incident began about 7:10 p.m. on the bridge at Cogswell Road, just east of Santa Anita Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Ismael Chavez said.
Officials received reports of a man sitting atop the fence lining the pedestrian bridge, the lieutenant said.
California Highway Patrol officers shut down the Santa Anita Avenue offramp of the westbound 60 Freeway as Los Angeles County firefighters set up an air cushion below the bridge, officials said. A specially-trained sheriff’s Mental Evaluation Team was summoned to the scene to speak with the distraught man.
After more than an hour, deputies persuaded the man to climb down and accept help, Chavez said. He was taken for psychiatric evaluation.
The offramp was re-opened about 8:30 p.m., according to the CHP.

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Deputies rescue suicidal man found hanging from utility pole in Pico Rivera

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PICO RIVERA >> Deputies rescued suicidal man who tried to hang himself from a telephone pole in Pico Rivera Friday morning, officials said.
Deputies were summoned about 9:20 a.m. to the 9300 block of Wampler Street by a family member of the man, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
“A male adult became despondent and attempted to hang himself from a telephone pole on the south side of Wampler Street,” according to the statement. A family member tried to intervene and called 911.
“(Deputies) found the man hanging from an electrical cord tied to the pole,” the statement said. “They quickly climbed the telephone pole and lifted the man up, preventing his death. Deputies cut the noose from his neck and carried him down from the pole.”
Paramedics took the man to a hospital, where he was listed in serious but stable condition, officials said.
Sheriff’s officials urged anyone thinking of hurting themselves to reach out and take advantages of resources designed to help, such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hotline at 800-273-8255. For more information, visit www.afsp.org.

PHOTO courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

 

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Glendora police revive man with new anti-overdose nasal spray

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GLENDORA >> Police used a newly-obtained anti-overdose nasal spray for the first time Saturday to revive a man overdosing on heroin in Glendora, officials said.
The incident unfolded shortly before 11 p.m. at a home in the 800 block of East Route 66, Glendora police Lt. Rob Lamborghini said in a written statement.
Officers responding to a report that a 31-year-old man had overdosed on heroin found the patient unconscious in an bathroom “in respiratory distress,” Lamborghini said.
“His breathing was very shallow and slow and his pulse was weak and slow,” he said. “Other signs of an opiate overdose were observed by the officers, two of whom are trained emergency medical technicians.”
The officers administered a dose of nasal naloxone, or Narcan, just as paramedics arrived at the scene.
The drug, which was first obtained by the department six months ago, is used to help reverse respiratory arrest caused by opiate drugs such as heroin or prescription painkillers.
“Within a minute and a half he was breathing more normally and his pulse rate rose significantly. He was treated by paramedics and was taken to Glendora Community Hospital where he regained consciousness and fully recovered,” Lamborghini said.
The Glendora Police Department became the first Los Angeles County law enforcement agency to be authorized to use the anti-overdose drug — known as nasal nolaxone, or Narcan — in April.
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Five Glendora police officers and one community service officer, who are also trained as EMTs, carry the spray, officials said. They also carry oxygen, which, in conjunction with Narcan, can be very effective in reviving overdose victims.
The program was introduces after police noticed a significant increase in both incidents of heroin possession and overdoses in recent years, officials said at the time.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control have noted a national “epidemic” of increasing heroin use nationwide.
“Between 2002 and 2013, the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths nearly quadrupled, and more than 8,200 people died in 2013,” according to a CDC statement.
Glendora police have long been at the forefront of marrying new medical technology with law enforcement duties.
In 1997, the department first in Southern California to issue portable defibrillators to all of its officers, officials said.

PHOTO: A dose of nasal naloxone, or Narcan, phorographed on Sept. 2, 2015. (Stephan Savoia/Associated Press)

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UPDATED: Brand new deputy resuscitates lifeless driver along 210 Freeway in Pasadena

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VIDEO: Sheriff’s Jim McDonnell discusses freeway rescue

PASADENA >> A sheriff’s deputy less than two weeks out of the academy, along with three other good Samaritans, is credited with resuscitating and saving the life of a man found pulseless on the 210 Freeway following a car crash earlier this week, officials said.
Deputy Jason Flores who graduated the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s academy Sept. 4, spotted a car that had crashed into the center divider along the eastbound 210 Freeway near Madre Street in Pasadena as he was on his way home from work about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.
“The male adult driver was unresponsive inside the locked vehicle, prompting the deputy and another passerby, to spring into action as they risked their own lives by stopping on the busy freeway,” Sgt. John Glynn said in a written statement.
The young deputy forced his way into the car an unlocked a door to reach the unconscious driver, he said.
“Deputy Flores realized the driver was not breathing and did not have a pulse,” Glynn said. “Deputy Flores instructed the passerby to call 9-1-1 and request medical assistance, while he started to perform (CPR).”
As Flores continued CPR, “the driver gasped for air and had a faint pulse,” the sergeant said.
Two off-duty nurses stopped at the scene to assist before California Highway Patrol officers and paramedics arrived to take over treatment and rush the injured driver to 0919_NWS_PSN-L-FREEWAY2a hospital, officials said. The victim’s heart stopped twice during the ambulance ride, but was resuscitated both times by emergency medical personnel.
Doctors rushed the man into emergency surgery, authorities said.
The driver, a 60-year-old Brea man, was listed in stable condition Friday, sheriff’s spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said.
Further details regarding the circumstance of the crash were not available.
Flores had basic CPR training prior to joining the sheriff’s department, “but he credits the majority of his life-saving skills and techniques to the Sheriff’s Academy Recruit Training Program,” Glynn said.
Having just graduated the academy, Flores, 23, has not yet received his formal duty assignment, sheriff’s spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said. He will most likely be assigned to the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles.

PHOTOS: [TOP] – LASD Deputy Jason Flores (courtesy). [BELOW] – Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Jason Flores receives his badge from his grandfather, retired Deputy Jimmy Jackson, upon graduating the sheriff’s Academy on Sept. 4, 2015. (Courtesy)

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UPDATED: Teen hurt, injured man goes missing after Angeles Crest Highway crash


ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST >> Two people were hurt, and one of them went missing for hours, after their car plummeted over the side of Angeles Crest Highway deep in the Angeles National Forest early Sunday, officials said.
A passer-by discovered the crash scene about a mile north of Mt. Wilson Red Box Road shortly before 10 a.m. after hearing a woman screaming for help, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Bill Jaeger said.
Members of the Montrose Search and Rescue Team joined Los Angeles County firefighters to hoist the injured passenger, a teenage girl, to safety, Jaeger said.
She was flown to an area hospital by helicopter for treatment of injuries not believed to be life threatening, Sgt. Booker Hollis said.
But the driver of the car, a man of about 20 years old, was nowhere to be found as of noon, officials said.
“They found a blood trail, which indicates he’s injured and was trying to make his way out of the area,” Jaeger said.
Authorities called off the mountain search Sunday afternoon, Hollis said. The man remained missing.
Shortly before 4 p.m., however, a CBS television news crew that went up the mountain to cover the story heard a man yelling for help, Lt. Chad Sauter said. They notified authorities, who re-dispatced rescuers to the scene.
Officials found the man suffering from a broken leg and other injuries not believed to be life-threatening in the same area they had been searching with the aid of two helicopters and two search dogs, Sauter said.
It was unclear why the man didn’t call out to rescuers, or could not be heard, earlier in the day.
The crash was initially believed to have taken place several hours before the wreckage was discovered.

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Woman rescued from Chantry Flats after suffering head injury in fall

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ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST >> Rescuers flew a 70-year-old woman to a hospital with head injuries Wednesday after she took a fall while hiking in the Chantry Flats Picnic Site, officials said.
The injured hiker was ultimately listed in stable condition at a hospital following the 2:11 p.m. mishap, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Julie Geary said.
The woman tripped and fell, suffering a laceration to her head, the sergeant said.
A sheriff’s department helicopter hoisted the woman from the campground and rushed to her a hospital for treatment, Geary said.

PHOTO courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

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UCLA Hiking Club members rescued from icy conditions in Angeles National Forest

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ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST >> A sheriff’s search and rescue team found and rescued eight members of UCLA’s Hiking Club early Sunday who had become lost and mildly hypothermic while hiking deep in the Angeles National Forest, authorities said.
Twelve students were hiking Saturday near Throop Peak, at an elevation of more than 8,000 feet, when eight of the hikers became lost, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said. The other five members managed to find their own way out of the forest.
Search an rescue teams from the San Dimas, Crescenta Valley and Palmdale sheriff’s stations responded to a 9-1-1 call about 6 p.m. Saturday reporting the eight missing hikers, sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
Rescuers plunged into thigh-deep snow drifts as they searched for the missing hikers, officials said.
Members of the Montrose Search and Rescue Team, based out of the sheriff’s Crescenta Valley Station, found the missing group about 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
“The students were elated to see the rescue team, some being mildly hypothermic,” according to the statement. “None of the students required medical attention, and were taken back to their cars.”
Rescuers secured the hikers with harnesses and ropes as they escorted them from the forest to prevent them from falling down the icy slopes, officials added.
According to the statement, “It took rescuers six hours to hike out the students due to the treacherous conditions.”

PHOTO courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

 

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Good Samaritan, police rescue five people from fiery South Pasadena crash; driver suspected of DUI

SOUTH PASADENA >> A good Samaritan and police pulled five people from an overturned, burning car early Sunday following an alleged DUI crash at Fair Oaks Avenue and Huntington Drive, authorities said.
The crash took place just before 2 a.m., South Pasadena police Sgt. Brian Solinsky said.
A 21-year-old Glendora woman was driving a 2012 Mazda sedan south on Fair Oaks Avenue at high speed when she lost control while trying to make a left turn onto Huntington Drive, Solinsky said.
“The car struck a center median and then a mailbox and fire hydrant on the south sidewalk of Huntington, shearing off the hydrant,” police said in a written statement. “The car just missed hitting a tree, struck a sign and wall, flipped over and landed on its roof.”
“Four adult females, including the driver, were able to crawl from the wreckage with the help of passersby after one of the female passengers kicked out a window,” according to the statement.
But a man who had been knocked unconscious in the crash was still inside when police arrived on scene, Solinsky said. The car was rapidly becoming engulfed in flames.
Officers smashed a window with a baton and pulled the unconscious man to safety, Solinsky said.
By the time the fire was extinguished,the car was “torched,” Solinksy said, adding that he doubted anyone left inside the burning car could have survived.
The driver and four passengers were all taken to a hospital for treatment, the sergeant said.
The driver, a 21-year-old Glendora woman whose name was not available Sunday, suffered injuries described as moderate, Solinsky said. They appeared to include injuries to her head and face.
The woman had not been formally arrested Sunday afternoon due to her injuries, but was expected to face a felony drunken driving case, Solinsky said.
The four passengers, residents of Glendora and Azusa who were also in their early-20s, suffered injuries described by police as minor.

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UPDATED: Driver rescued from electrified minivan after crashing into utility pole in Montebello

MONTEBELLO >> Rescuers freed a 68-year-old man from his minivan Thursday after he became trapped by high-voltage power lines when his vehicle struck a utility pole, authorities said.
The incident, which began with the crash about 7 p.m. on Beverly Boulevard, just east of Poplar Avenue, resulted in no injuries, Montebello Fire Department Capt. Fernando Pelaez said. With 16,000-volt power lines sparking and arcing all over the crash scene, the situation could have been much worse, he said.
The solo-vehicle crash sent power lines down onto the street and over the minivan, the captain said.
Firefighters arrived on scene and warned passers-by to stay away from the lines, as well as metallic items such as fences and lampposts that were electrified by them.
They also told the driver of the minivan to stay inside until Southern California Edison officials could shut down the power, which took about 45 minutes, Pelaez said. Had he stepped out prior, “He definitely would have gotten electrocuted.”
The sheared power pole also supported an electrical transformer, officials said.
Rescuers tried to keep the driver calm until the power was ultimately cut off to the wires, officials said. Firefighters then managed to free him from the crashed minivan.
The driver, a doctor, did not appear injured and declined to be taken to a hospital, Pelaez said.
The intersection of Beverly Boulevard and Poplar Avenue was expected to remain closed into Friday morning as utility crews repaired the damage.
About 5,000 SCE customers initially lost power as a result of the crash, Montebello police Lt. Kelly Gordon said. By 10:45 p.m., about 500 SCE customer remained without electrical service.
No crime was initially suspected in connection with the crash, which was being investigated as an accident, Gordon said.

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VIDEO: Hikers rescued via helicopter from Switzer Falls mountain ridge


ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST >> A sheriff’s helicopter crew hoisted three stranded hikers and their dog to safety Saturday after they became trapped on a mountain ridge north of La Canada Flintridge, officials said.
The rescue took place about 12:45 p.m. near the Bear Canyon Campground in the Switzer Falls portion of the forest.
The hikers, two men, a woman and a dog, went off a trail, became disoriented and ended up stuck on a mountain top, unable to get back down, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
“One hiker was able to make a cell phone call to contact the local sheriff’s station, Crescenta Valley Station, and requested help.
A sheriff’s department helicopter responded and hoisted all three people and their dog into the aircraft before flying them to safety, officials said. They were not hurt.

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