Santa Cruz police recognize volunteers who helped save man in cardiac arrest

The Santa Cruz Police Department is recognizing three civilian police volunteers who officers said helped save a man in cardiac arrest.

Police said the incident happened Wednesday on Pacific Avenue. The volunteers- Anna, Margie and Zelma- were on patrol when they said they noticed a man holding his hand over his chest. They said they asked if he was OK, and he told them that he was short of breath and had chest pains.

Police said while Margie asked him questions, Anna called in a medical emergency and Zelma kept people from crowding the scene.

When Santa Cruz Fire and AMR arrived, they found that the man was in cardiac arrest. Police said the firefighters and paramedics who responded were impressed with the professional communication and adherence to training the volunteers showed.

In a social media post, police said, “What the volunteers did yesterday exemplifies what the SCPD Volunteer Program is all about. Service to the community, which means SCPD Volunteers can and do have a significant impact on the lives of the people they come in contact with during their shifts.”

Police said Zelma is a new volunteer and was on her last trainee patrol before receiving her volunteer uniform.