Four local heroes were recognized this week by the Ontario County Safety Council for successfully reviving a patient in cardiac arrest following a car accident last July. The awards were presented by the Council at their annual banquet held at the Clifton Springs Country Club on Tuesday.
On July 19th, 2023, emergency crews were dispatched for the report of a two-car motor vehicle crash at the intersection of State Route 21 and Deuel Rd in the Town of Canandaigua. Upon his arrival, Ontario County Sheriff’s Deputy Keith Cutri approached one of the cars and found the operator was still inside. He discovered the operator to be unresponsive with agonal respirations. Deputy Cutri determined the patient had lost a pulse and working with Cheshire Firefighter Robert Finger they quickly removed the operator from the vehicle. Firefighter Finger began chest compressions while Sheriff’s Deputy Timothy Durgan applied his AED to the patient. Cheshire Fire Captain Bryztin Johnson performed rescue breathing. The patient regained a pulse and was flown via Mercy Flight to Strong Hospital for further treatment.
For their quick work in administering lifesaving CPR, Firefighter Robert Finger, Captain Bryztin Johnson, Deputy Keith Cutri, and Deputy Timothy Durgan were awarded the Dr. Ben Lankheet Heart Starter Award.
