By C1 Staff
ALBION, NY — An Orleans Correctional Facility corrections officer is being praised for recognizing a situation that could have turned deadly.
The Daily News Online reports that Michael Kropf, a 25-year veteran of the DOC, noticed an inmate in the mess hall choking and barely able to breathe.
Kropf realized immediately that the inmate’s airway was obstructed and applied the Heimlich maneuver. Initially he was unsuccessful in removing the obstruction, but continuing the Heimlich, he eventually was able to restore the inmate’s ability to breathe.
“I was only doing what I had been trained to do,” Kropf said. “I was just doing my job.”
The unnamed inmate was transported to a local hospital for evaluation, where he was treated and returned to the medium-security facility.
The Western Revgion vice president of NYSCOPBA commended Kropf for his quick actions.
“Certainly he training paid off on that day and saved the life of the inmate. Kropf is a prime example of the good men and women who work inside our prisons and keep the citizens of New York safe,” Mike Dildine said.