Suburban Heroes: Lake Zurich police officers lauded for saving two lives
A pair of Lake Zurich police officers have been lauded for saving two local residents' lives this summer.
In separate incidents, officers Andrew Heer and Greg Kingery used CPR to help rescue people experiencing medical emergencies.
Since then, both have received departmental lifesaving awards and commemorative uniform pins.
On July 13, Heer responded to a call of an unconscious person at a home. He found a 31-year-old man who wasn't breathing, had no pulse and was turning blue. Relatives said the man had a history of heart trouble and an internal pacemaker, police said.
Heer administered CPR until Lake Zurich paramedics arrived and took over.
The man resumed breathing and was taken to a hospital. He survived.
Heer, a five-year veteran of the department, called the experience "rewarding."
"It's an amazing feeling knowing my CPR training was used to save a life," he said. "The Lake Zurich Police Department has placed me in a position to be successful through our various practical, hands-on training exercises."
On Aug. 2, Kingery - a two-year veteran of the department - responded to a call to investigate an unconscious person at a different home.
A neighbor had gone to the house to check on the 70-year-old resident and found the woman on the floor and not breathing, police said.
The neighbor had started CPR with assistance from a 911 dispatcher, and Kingery took over when he arrived.
The woman eventually resumed breathing and was taken to a hospital. She, too, survived.
"After she regained consciousness, I remember breathing a sigh of relief," Kingery said. "I didn't really think about the 'what ifs' in that situation. All I thought was how I had a job to do, and I couldn't fail her."
Police Chief Steve Husak had praise for both officers.
"While I expect our personnel to do their jobs each day, it is refreshing to hear about officers going the extra mile to save the public that we serve," Husak said in a news release.
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