HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — A Hernando County deputy is being credited with saving a man's life.
- Incident occurred May 4
- Deputy Jeff McDougal responded to home after 911 hang-up
- Elderly woman said her son "would not wake up"
- McDougal started CPR on unresponsive man, got pulse, breathing back
- More Hernando County stories
Deputy Jeff McDougal responded to a house in Ridge Manor around 2:30 a.m. Saturday after a 911 hang-up came from the area. When he arrived in the area, he noticed one residence with lights on and made his way there.
An elderly woman in the home was upset, saying her son “would not wake up”.
McDougal found a man inside the home unconscious, not breathing, and without a pulse. He started CPR and soon after Deputy Mark Kay arrived to help.
Together, they re-established a pulse, and the man was transported to the hospital by Fire/Rescue. According to the Sheriff's Office, both the paramedics and the Emergency Department physician credited the deputies for saving the man's life.
McDougal, though, said it was a true team effort.
“That big breath told me that we’re getting somewhere here, we’re doing it, we were getting somewhere," he said. "You have a tiger by the tail here and you just have to keep holding on and keep doing it."
The man is expected to make a full recovery.