Guards help revive unresponsive inmate

Two Calipatria State Prison correctional officers are being credited with providing an unresponsive inmate with live-saving medical assistance on Feb. 2

The unresponsive inmate had been discovered in a cell in the prison’s Facility B, prompting Officer Juan Galvan to call for emergency medical assistance and pull the inmate to the dayroom to conduct a medical evaluation, the prison reported.

The inmate reportedly had no detectable pulse and was not breathing, his face turning blue. This prompted Galvan to initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation as additional prison staff arrived on scene, including Officer Robert Gonzalez, who immediately assisted Galvan and took over providing chest compressions, the prison reported.

The officers continued providing CPR until the inmate began breathing again and regained consciousness. Once the inmate was revived, the officers talked to him to keep him conscious and calm, the prison reported.

The inmate was subsequently transported to the facility’s Outpatient Housing Unit, where on-duty medical staff further helped stabilize him before he was provided additional treatment at an outside hospital.

“The medical aid provided by Officers Galvan and Gonzalez before medical staff arrived, had without a doubt saved the inmate’s life as he was without oxygen for over seven minutes,” said Juan Flores, health supervising registered nurse in a written statement.