On Tuesday, January 24, 2012, Deputies Grant Oberle and Janette Leo responded to a motel in the 11500 block of Carson Street in Lakewood regarding a medical aid call. Margarete Kilchenmann, 75, was discovered in an unresponsive state by her husband. When the deputies arrived at the scene, they found the patient in full cardiac arrest. They immediately initiated cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Within minutes, Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel from Engine Company 34 and Squad 30 arrived and took over the patient’s care.
Complicating matters, Ms. Kilchenmann and her husband were visiting from Switzerland and did not speak English. Fire Department personnel communicated with the woman’s husband via a German translator through their dispatch center to obtain important medical history information. Meanwhile, the deputies located the phone number of a family friend in Arizona and made contact to provide much needed support to the patient’s husband.
After paramedics performed advanced life saving techniques and administered drug therapy, Ms. Kilchenmann was transported to Lakewood Regional Medical Center with a pulse and a blood pressure, but in very critical condition. Fire Department Captain Joe Woyjeck praised the deputies for their quick initiation of CPR until advanced medical services could be administered, increasing the odds of survival and recovery.
Tragically, Ms. Kilchenmann passed away two days later. However, the valiant efforts of the Sheriff’s and Fire Department personnel, working together as a team, provided precious time for Ms. Kilchenmann’s son to fly in to be by her side at the hospital. This was a true example of emergency responders working together as a team to save lives.
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You can partner to prevent or report crime by contacting Lakewood Sheriff’s Station at (562) 623-3500 to report suspicious activity. Or if you wish to remain anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), or text the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637,) or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
Lieutenant Dan Beringer
Captain Merrill Ladenheim
Lakewood Sheriff's Station
