La Porte County is the 2nd largest county in Indiana by square miles. All too often, deputies find themselves great distances away from emergency calls for service, where seconds can be the difference between life and death. On Christmas Eve though, that was not the case for one deputy.
At 2:51 p.m., Deputy Tyler Oberholtzer responded to the area of U.S. 35 and CR 250 South, in reference to a 31-year-old passenger inside a motor vehicle who had lost consciousness. At 2:53 p.m., Deputy Oberholtzer arrived and was directed to the front passenger seat of the vehicle. The female was still unconscious and not breathing. Upon recognizing the severity of the situation, the patient was removed from the vehicle.
After not finding a pulse, Deputy Oberholtzer began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). While performing chest compressions, Deputy Oberholtzer noticed the patient regaining color and beginning to show signs of life. He continued CPR as the patient was loaded into the rear of an ambulance, where shortly after she began to take deep breaths. She was transported to an area hospital moments later.
As of midday Monday, the patient remains hospitalized in stable condition.