Off-Duty Fort Worth Police Officer Saves Jogger's Life
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - In a press release Tuesday morning, the Fort Worth Police Department told a heroic story of one of their own.
Officer LK Bowden was in her front yard with her children when she saw a man jogging near her home. The man was dragging his feet and his arms were swinging limp by his side. The runner then began stumbling to the ground and collapsed. Officer Bowden immediately rushed over to him. She observed that he wasn't sweating even though it was 90 degrees outside. He was unable to keep focus or answer any of her questions. With the assistance of a neighbor, Bowden went inside to grab her cell phone to call 911. Upon returning outside after just a few seconds, the man was unresponsive and wasn't breathing very hard. Bowden checked his pulse and it was weak. It also appeared to her that his airway was being blocked by his tongue, so officer Bowden placed him in the recovery position on his side. As officer Bowden called 911 and handed her phone to her neighbor, the man suddenly began grasping for air, lost all color to his face, and then just completely stopped breathing.
Officer Bowden placed the man on his back, but wasn't able to locate a pulse. He then became cold and his lips turned blue, so Officer Bowden immediately began CPR. After about 15 minutes of chest compressions and rescue breathing, paramedics arrived. To that point, the runner never regained consciousness.
The man, who wasn't identified by Fort Worth PD, was transported to the nearest hospital and then careflighted to Fort Worth.
By Monday night, the man began breathing on his own and became responsive the next day. Police say Bowden went to visit the man in the hospital on Wednesday, and by then, "he was joking around and laughing. It was a beautiful sight," according to Bowden.
The man's family has been keeping Officer Bowden updated throughout the entire process. "Every single thing lined up that day for me to be in that specific location at that certain time," said Bowden. "And I truly believe that I was put there just to help him."
The man was able to return home on Friday and is expected to make a full recovery.
The Officer's daughters were both there in the front yard with their mother and witnessed her heroism. After being asked if she thought her mom was a hero, the 4-year old responded, "No! She is just a mommy. Mommies are supposed to save people who are hurt."
Officer Bowden has been with the Fort Worth Police Department since 2004.
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)