Sergeant, nurses honored for efforts
LOWER PROVIDENCE >> Lower Providence Township Police Sgt. Matthew Kuhnert and Kelly Magyar and Julia Caldwell, nurses at St. Gabriel’s Hall, received commendations for providing lifesaving medical assistance to an unresponsive victim at St. Gabriel’s. The three were honored at the Lower Providence Township Board of Supervisors March 16 meeting.
The Lower Providence Township Police Department was dispatched with Lower Providence Community Ambulance to a medical emergency at Saint Gabriel’s Hall on Pawlings Road on Dec. 21. When Sgt. Kuhnert arrived on the scene, he found an unresponsive 51-year-old male victim. Ms. Caldwell was performing chest compressions for the victim.
Sgt. Kuhnert conducted an assessment and found the victim still was not breathing and did not have a pulse. An automated external defibrillator (AED) was applied and it indicated that a shock should be administered. Sgt. Kuhnert administered the shock to the victim with a positive response. However, the patient did not have a strong pulse and still was not breathing.
Sgt. Kuhnert and Ms. Caldwell continued with CPR. Ms. Magyar arrived on the scene and began to provide rescue breathing utilizing a bag valve mask. The three rescuers continued to provide medical assistance as a team changing positions as needed until medics arrived.
Lower Providence Township Police Officer W. Timothy Arthur and Lower Providence Community Ambulance personnel arrived on the scene and prepared the victim for transport. While on the elevator moving to the ambulance, the victim regained a pulse and began to breathe on his own. Medics transported him to Phoenixville Hospital for advanced care where he has since made a full recovery.