Amador County – An off-duty Ione Volunteer Patrol officer acted quickly and saved a life in Ione last month, when a man suffered a heart attack and his heart and breathing stopped.

Ione Police Chief Mike Johnson said the life-saving efforts reaped the “ultimate reward,” and “quick action by the off-duty police department volunteer and quick response by both Ione Police Department and Ione Fire Department appear to have led to a rare success story.”

At about 12:30 p.m. on Friday, July 15, Bill Thiry, a member of the IPD Volunteer Patrol was off-duty and working at a home in the 400 block of Fairway Drive when he “heard a loud crashing sound.”

Johnson said a woman at the home “alerted Thiry that her 72-year-old husband had collapsed.” Thiry was already aware that he had a heart condition, and he “rushed to her aid and called 9-1-1.”

Thiry found the man had stopped breathing and had no pulse. Johnson said Thiry and the woman began Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. “In 2-3 minutes an on-duty Ione Police Officer arrived, followed immediately by an IFD Engineer.” The police and fire personnel relieved Thiry and continued CPR, and “Thiry provided comfort and support to victim’s wife.”

An off-duty Ione fire fighter jogging in the area with his child also assisted. Mule Creek Fire Department and American Legion Ambulance personnel “soon arrived and continued advanced life support,” and the man was rushed to the hospital.

Johnson said “historically the success rate of surviving cardiac arrest is extremely low, around 5 percent. However, in this case, the Ione man is reported to be stable, back at his own residence, and is expected to make a full recovery.”

He said having full time firefighters “is also a new luxury to the City of Ione. Most of Ione Fire personnel are full-time medics or firefighters in cities and regions throughout the state but choose to live in Ione and give to their community by volunteering as paid-call firefighters on their days off.”

His new “Volunteer Patrol is also made up of a variety of professionals and retirees in our community who choose to serve our community selflessly, whether on-duty or not.”

Johnson said “Ione is fortunate to have so many willing, caring, capable volunteers supplementing the full time employees.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.