Pierce Township First Responders, Good Samaritan Honored by Board of Trustees
The Pierce Township Board of Trustees dedicated a portion of Wednesday’s meeting to recognizing nine Pierce Township first responders and a civilian for their efforts in saving the life of a four-year-old child.
On October 23rd, the boy nearly drowned in his family’s swimming pool. He was pulled from the water by his father, but he was not breathing and did not have a pulse.
In a panic, the boy’s father ran to the road for help and flagged down the right person – Jaraka Hazelbaker.
Ms. Hazelbaker, thankfully, had CPR training and immediately started life-saving efforts.
Minutes later, Pierce Township Police Officer Dustin Wade made it to the house and rushed to help. He asked Ms. Hazelbaker to flag down the responding medics and continued CPR.
The crew from the Pierce Township Fire Department was there just two minutes later, and Lieutenant Elijah Hammonds and Firefighter Kevin Barkley III took immediate action. They continued care with the assistance of Assistant Fire Chief Jim Watkins, Lieutenant Eric Wehrum, Firefighters Eric Nause, Kyle Kollhoff, Gabriel Kayser, and Ethan Watren.
The boy was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and after several days of intensive care, the child was stabilized and released on October 31st.
To recognize the incredible efforts on that day, the Pierce Township Board of Trustees presented public service commendations to all first responders involved with the rescue.
Ms. Hazelbaker, as a civilian, was given a certificate of recognition for her crucial role in saving the boy’s life.
The video below is provided by WLWT