Home / Disasters and Accidents / Officers Risk Electrocution for Daring Rescue
Officers Risk Electrocution for Daring Rescue
14 Aug
Summary
- Three officers saved a man from a crashed van with live power lines.
- The driver suffered a cardiac arrest before the crash, losing consciousness.
- Despite extreme danger, officers acted quickly to perform CPR and save him.
On July 16, Avondale police officers Raul Alcala, J.J. Del Pozzo, and Dante Herron responded to a vehicle collision. They found Brian Mealer's van crashed into a power pole, with a live power line resting on its roof. Mealer, who had suffered a cardiac arrest before the crash, was unresponsive and without a pulse.
Recognizing the extreme danger of electrocution, the officers made the critical decision to enter the immediate vicinity of the energized wires. Their training indicated a significant risk, but they prioritized Mealer's life, attempting to minimize contact with the vehicle's frame as they extricated him.
Officers Alcala and Del Pozzo then began CPR, and Officer Herron assisted in opening Mealer's airway. Their life-saving efforts were successful, as Mealer began breathing and a pulse returned just as emergency medical services arrived.
Mealer, who has no memory of the incident, later learned of the officers' courageous actions. His family expressed immense gratitude for the officers' bravery, with one family member noting the significant risk involved. Mealer plans to personally thank the officers for their life-saving intervention.
