By C1 Staff
IOWA CITY — An employee of the Johnson County Jail has been credit with saving the life of an inmate when she attempted to commit suicide.
The Gazette reports that control center operator Kim Pearson received a lifesaving award from the sheriff’s office for her heroic deed.
On July 10, around 5:40 a.m., Pearson was collecting trays from breakfast and handing out court documents to inmates. As she entered the E Block, overnight housing for female inmates, she saw an inmate on table with a blanket tied around her neck. The other end was wrapped around a speaker.
“I saw her hanging there, she was black and blue,” Pearson said.
She reacted quickly, hitting a button that signaled an emergency in the cell block. Pearson then tried to hoist the woman up to relieve pressure on her neck. When that didn’t work, Pearson climbed up on the table and lifted the woman up.
Deputies responded to the incident and quickly untied the inmate from the speaker. The inmate was moved to the floor and cared for until paramedics arrived. She was eventually taken to a nearby hospital.
Pearson hasn’t seen or heard about what happened to the woman since. She said she didn’t want recognition for her actions, but does appreciate the award she was given.