Life Saving Incident

On Tuesday, May 24, 2016, the Escondido Police and Fire Communication center received a 9-1-1 call regarding an adult female who was near a creek bed behind their Headquarters building. It was reported that the female had possibly overdosed on a narcotic and was not breathing. Lieutenant Al Owens was inside the headquarters building and overheard the call. He immediately responded to the creek bed where he found the patient unconscious. Lieutenant Owens quickly evaluated her condition and determined that she was not breathing and did not have a pulse. Lieutenant Owens began CPR and the patient regained a pulse. However, within seconds the pulse was lost and Lieutenant Owens resumed CPR. The second round of CPR was successful. The patient regained a heartbeat and began breathing on her own. Escondido Fire Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter, provided further treatment and transported the patient to the hospital. Escondido Police Chief Carter praised Lieutenant Owens for his quick, lifesaving action. Chief Carter added, “While I am extremely proud of Lieutenant Owens’ actions, I am not surprised. Lieutenant Owens was one of seven officers who all raced to the scene in hopes of helping someone in desperate need. This event highlights the daily efforts of every member of the Escondido Police Department.”