A Middlesex Jail and House of Correction inmate is thanking Essex County Sheriff’s officers and medical staff for performing 29 rounds of CPR to save his life last month.
William Schultz thanked those officers and staff Tuesday and delivered a promise.
“I really wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t here in this place, and if it wasn’t for your efforts,” he said. “Don’t worry. I won’t waste this second chance.”
Schultz suffered what was described as a cardiac event and staff administered 870 chest compressions and 58 rescue breaths to bring him back. It was the middle of the night when an inmate alerted officers about Schultz. They found him having a seizure and then became unresponsive, and officers could not find a pulse. After they revived him, Schultz was taken to a local hospital where he recovered.
“When I woke up, the doctors told me what you did and how it saved my life,” Schultz said. “I’ve been grateful from the moment I woke up.”
Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger presented letters of recognition to the staff involved in this life-saving effort, including Sgts. Mark Duquette and Isaac Mercer, Officers Anthony Lopez-Sanchez, Kayli Kotchian, Mark Csogi, Michael Palm and Scott Faessler and WellPath nurses Elena Shevtsova, Nicole Newman and David McAuliffe.
“This is a miracle, nothing short of a miracle,” Coppinger said. “The men and women, it’s what they do for a living, but their heart is in their job and they care. They are trained for moments like these, and because of their training they saved this man’s life.”
Schultz joined Coppinger, shaking hands with the officers and nurses and saying thank you to each one.