Four Linn County deputies given life saving awards

LINN COUNTY - Four Linn County Sheriff's Office deputies have been given commendations for their life saving efforts in 2014.

Each of the deputies received a Life Saving Commendation Award from Sheriff Brian Gardner.

According to information from Gardner, shortly after 5 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2014, deputy James Dunn was dispatched to a parking lot in Hiawatha for a woman who reported her child was not breathing. Arriving on the scene within a minute of the dispatch, Dunn found an unresponsive 5-year-old boy in a child safety seat in the back of the vehicle. The boy's skin had turned 'bluish” and he appeared to be suffering from a seizure, Gardner said.

Dunn removed the boy from his child seat, placed him on the trunk of the vehicle and opened his airway. The Hiawatha fire and police departments arrived on the scene shortly thereafter and took over care of the boy, who was taken to a hospital and made a full recovery.

The following day, another life was saved, this time at the Linn County Jail. In that instance, around 7:20 p.m., deputy Taylor Buhmeyer was checking on an inmate who had been placed in an administrative segregation cell after trying to sneak contraband into the jail. Buhmeyer noticed the inmate's face was dark purple and he had something wrapped around his neck. Buhmeyer alerted staff to the suicide attempt.

Deputy Alan Bennett responded to the alert and entered the cell with Buhmeyer. The two deputies removed a pair of socks the inmate had tightly wrapped around his neck. The inmate was evaluated at a hospital and returned to the jail.

Another inmate's life was saved on May 14. Gardner said on that occasion, a female inmate was placed in administrative segregation due to a pre-existing injury on her wrist and her 'emotional state of mind” when she was booked. That evening, the inmate took the gauze off her wrist and tied it tightly in a knot around her neck. Deputy Tythe VanWeelden checked on the inmate a minute later and saw she was crying. When VanWeelden could not get the woman to sit up and speak with him, he called for assistance and entered the cell with other deputies to check on her. When they did, the deputies heard the woman gasping for air and removed the gauze from her neck. It was determined she did not need any further medical attention.

All four of the deputies were recognized for the efforts at the quarterly Linn County Employee Recognition Breakfasts, Gardner said.