Sheriffs Save Overdosing Man At Gas Station In Garfield Heights

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, OH — Overdose deaths spiked recently in Cuyahoga County, claiming the lives of nine people in only 48 hours. Two Cuyahoga County sheriffs recently prevented another Northeast Ohio man from dying because of narcotics.

On May 18, two sheriffs were at a GetGo gas station in Garfield Heights when a customer said they saw a man in a van, possibly overdosing. The man appeared unresponsive, according to the sheriffs.

The two sheriffs ran to their cruiser and grabbed their safety equipment and two doses of Narcan nasal spray — a medication designed to reverse an overdose caused by an opioid (like heroin, fentanyl or certain prescription pain medications). Narcan can block the effects of opioids on the brain and restore breathing.

“As we approached the man, I knew we needed to get him out of the van and lay him flat on the ground,” said Cuyahoga County Sheriff's detective Eric Enk. “After he was laid on the ground, the man was unresponsive to us, so I prepared my two doses of Narcan and administered it to him.”

Garfield Heights police and EMS then arrived and gave the man first aid. The man was then taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Last week, at nearly the same time as this incident, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's office issued a public health alert, warning of a surge in overdoses and overdose deaths in Cuyahoga County.

Nine people were killed by narcotics in 48 hours — eight Cleveland residents and one Beachwood resident, according to the medical examiner's office.

Cuyahoga County residents can get free fentanyl test strips at the following locations:

• Circle Health Services (12201 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106 | 216.721.4010)
• Care Alliance Clinic (2916 Central Avenue Cleveland, OH 44115 | 216.535.9100)
• Care Alliance Clinic (1530 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland OH 44114 | 216.781.6724)

If you or anyone you know is using or recovering from opioid addiction, contact Project DAWN for information at 216-778-5677. Program participants are given free Naloxone kits — the opioid reversing antidote.

Additionally, the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County offers a 24-hour crisis hotline at 216-623-6888.