Hospital police officer saves man

By Holly Hendershot

Herald-Standard

January 3, 2021 - A Uniontown Hospital police officer saved a man’s life after the hospital got a call about a man lying unconscious in the upper parking lot of the hospital.

After receiving the call Tuesday, Officer Anthony Watkins and Chief John Kaminsky and ran out the door and up toward the car. When they arrived, the man was lying on the ground next to the passenger side of a vehicle. Kaminsky said he looked grey in color, was unresponsive and did not have a heartbeat.

Watkins immediately started performing CPR on the man, while awaiting medical staff.

“Just as the nursing crew was arriving, about two minutes into the CPR, the guy took a breath and came back to life,” Kaminsky said. “It was really great.”

Kaminsky said he is unsure what medical condition caused the middle-aged man to become unresponsive. The man’s wife had brought him in, and people were consoling her.

After the incident, Kaminsky said Watkins told him how glad he was that the man started breathing again.

“Officer Watkins’ fast action and training saved a life,” Josh Krysak, director of Community Relations for Uniontown Hospital, said. “We are in the business of saving lives at Uniontown Hospital, but the circumstances here certainly make this one special. We are so thankful for Tony and, really, for all of our staff, who are committed to caring for our community.”

Kaminsky said that although they do get calls from people out in their cars that can’t make it in and need assistance, the hospital’s officers have not resuscitated anyone in the facility’s parking lot before

“It’s a great feeling to be there and watch my officer bring back somebody who is no longer breathing and no longer has a heartbeat,” he said. “It was very gratifying that we were able to help somebody before they actually got into the hospital.”