Video shows Suwanee officer save man suffering medical emergency

SUWANEE, Ga. - An officer with the Suwanee Police Department is being recognized for his life-saving actions.

Suwanee Police responded to the Hammerhead Seafood and Sports Grille on Tuesday after a man collapsed and had a seizure. The man was stable when police arrived, but as officers waited for paramedics, the man stopped breathing.

"From what we were told, he was fine sitting there having his dinner, and then next thing you know he's on the ground having a seizure," described Suwanee Officer, Isaiah Fernald.

Officer Fernald was one of the first responding officers. He said he got the call on Tuesday around 7:30 p.m.

"He was breathing and had a pulse. Everything was fine. We were just waiting for the Gwinnett County Fire Department to arrive," said Fernald.

But the situation quickly escalated after the man stopped breathing.

"While we were waiting, his son was sitting by his head and stated to me, 'Hey, I don't think he's breathing,'" said Fernald.

Body camera video captured the ordeal. Fernald can be seen on video starting chest compressions. He told FOX 5 he only needed to perform one set of thirty compressions before the man started breathing again.

"I lost a pulse," said Fernald on the body camera recording of the incident, "He's back now."

A short time later, the ambulance arrived at the scene and took the man to the hospital. Officer Fernald said he doesn't consider himself a hero but knows those life-saving actions made a difference that day.

"I really hope, in my case, I did indeed affect that man's life positively by letting him stay with his family on this earth for a little while longer," said Fernald.

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