Officers with Norfolk OPP were able to help save the same woman’s life twice within 24 hours this weekend.
Police helped a 35-year-old woman in Simcoe who was “in medical distress” just before 1 a.m. on Saturday. Officers believed she was suffering from an opioid overdose and administered two doses of naloxone.
The woman regained consciousness and was treated and transported by paramedics to hospital for further care.
READ MORE: Ontario eliminates requirement for SIU probe when officers administer naloxone
Then around 8 p.m. that same Saturday, Norfolk OPP found the same woman and the same address suffering from a suspected opioid overdose. Officers say they once again gave the woman two doses of naloxone before she was transported to hospital where she regained consciousness.
“When someone is overdosing, minutes can make the difference between life and death. The naloxone kits are an additional tool which OPP officers utilize to keep our communities safe,” Norfolk County OPP Inspector Joseph Varga said in a statement about the case.
The OPP announced in June 2017 that front-line officers would be equipped with naloxone as the province dealt with the growing opioid crisis.
Then in November 2018, the province announced its police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, would no longer be required to probe cases involving police officers who administer the overdose-reversing drug to someone who dies.