A Langford man has RCMP and his roommate to thank after they saved him from a suspected heroin overdose, last Monday.
In a release, RCMP said emergency crews were dispatched to a home around 5:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve after receiving a frantic 911 call.
Police were first on scene and found the man’s roommate performing CPR. The 38-year-old had ingested heroine and became unresponsive.
Two doses of Naloxone were administered to the unconscious male who had stopped breathing altogether. He gradually woke up and was transported to hospital for further care.
“Our members are trained in the use of Naloxone and carry it on their person. The attending officer recognized the need to administer Naloxone to counteract the effects of drug,” said Cst. SAGGAR of the West Shore RCMP.
“There is no doubt in my mind that this male would not be alive to celebrate Christmas without the fast response from police, ambulance, Langford Fire Dept. and the roommate who performed CPR. We want to thank our officer and all parties above for their efforts in saving this man’s life.”
Overdose deaths up 13% in November
According to the BC Coroners Service, there were 120 suspected drug overdose deaths in the province in November.
That’s a 13 per cent increase compared to the same month last year. The latest stats show that 1,380 people have died by overdose between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, 2018, nearly the same amount as 2017.
Victoria was among the top three cities with the highest number of illicit drug overdose deaths.