Two Santa Barbara County Sheriff's deputies, one from Santa Maria and one from Arroyo Grande, have been commended for saving the lives of three people in the last few weeks.

Deputy Judy Hall of Santa Maria performed CPR on a man who went into cardiac arrest in a hotel in Solvang, and the efforts of Deputy Ian Doughty in responding to two suicide attempts helped save both despondent people's lives.

“Paramedic personnel states that Deputy Hall's immediate life-saving steps were what kept the patient alive. Both of these deputies have done a great job recently, and they have been recognized for their efforts,” said Lt. Mark Liddi of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department.

The victim was 74-year-old George Denny of Los Angeles, who had gone into cardiac arrest. His wife Mary called 9-1-1 immediately, and Hall arrived two minutes after the dispatcher called for assistance.

When she reached Denny's room at the King Frederik Best Western motel in Solvang, his skin was already blue.

“He was unconscious and not breathing, I couldn't feel his pulse, and knew I had to do chest compressions immediately,” Hall said.

She simultaneously gave signals to his wife for when to breathe into his lungs, Denny recalled, as she kept pushing on his chest to stimulate his heart.

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“It was weird because usually the medics or the fire medics are already on scene by the time the police get there. When I was running up the stairs to the room the Dennys were in, no one was around and I thought that was odd,” Hall said.

Hall has been working for Santa Barbara County for a year and a half. Prior to moving to Santa Maria, she worked as a jail deputy for the Inyo County Sheriff's Department.

“I assisted with CPR at the jail once before, but I really felt on that day I was put at the right place and time to save Mr. Denny's life,” Hall said.

After the paramedics arrived and took Denny to Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital, Hall went to visit him and make sure he was stable.

“The doctor and nurse asked if I was the officer that saved his life. That was a great moment for me, knowing I had helped someone in need,” Hall said.

Hall said as a child growing up in the foster-care system, she dealt with law enforcement all the time and noticed there weren't many female officers.

“I really wanted to help and give back. Even if it's just a hug someone needs, I could have used that when I was a kid,” Hall said.

She now lives in Santa Maria with her husband, Toby, who works for the California Highway Patrol, and their two children Berai, 15, and Juan, 10.

Doughty, just 21 years old, was assigned to Lompoc one day when a resident reported his wife missing and described her as suicidal.

“I really just handled the communication between the sheriff's department and the Santa Maria Police Department,” Doughty said. “Our training prepares us to use the resources we can to be able to see beyond the scope of the situation and rule things out.”

Doughty also deflected any credit for saving the second suicidal person, who had attached a hose to his car's exhaust pipe so he would inhale the toxic fumes. Doughty helped other deputies and fire personnel by shooting out a window in the vehicle to get fresh air into the car immediately and give access to medics, who then took the man to the hospital.

In the case of the suicidal Lompoc woman, Liddi said, Doughty determined through phone records, and further investigation with GPS tracking on the woman's cell phone, that the suicidal victim was at the Santa Maria Inn.

Hotel staff were made aware of the situation but they got no response when they knocked on the woman's door.

Doughty called the Santa Maria Police Department and told them everything they needed to respond immediately. When Santa Maria officers got into the room they found the woman unconscious on the bed with what turned out to be an overdose of medication.

“The timely arrival of the law enforcement and medics played a key role in her survival. Deputy Ian Doughty's sharp investigative skills and dedication resulted in her life being saved. His actions are shining examples of law enforcement professionalism and devoted public service,” Liddi said.

Doughty, who lives in Arroyo Grande, is the first member of his family to work in law enforcement. He was hired by the Sheriff's Department in July 2007 while he was still in the Police Academy at Hancock College. He began patrolling in December 2007.

November 18, 2008