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NJ CO hailed as hero after resuscitation coworker

By James P. Quaranta
The Daily Journal

BRIDGETON, N.J. A senior corrections officer at South Woods State Prison was credited with saving the life of another corrections officer who suffered a heart attack at the institution Monday afternoon.

Cumberland County resident Larry Fawcett, 35, immediately began CPR when he saw his fellow officer in distress.

“I was not alone,” Fawcett said Friday afternoon. “There were other staff members who were helping him. I don’t deserve all the credit.”

Deirdre Fedkenheuer, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections, said Fawcett’s effort probably saved the man’s life.

“He was turning blue when Officer Fawcett did CPR and he had to be shocked twice,” Fedkenheuer said. “That shows the seriousness of the attack and the importance of Officer Fawcett’s effort to save his life.”

Fedkenheuer said all corrections officers learn CPR when they attend police academy training.

“About three years ago we instituted an in-service program where guards in all state facilities undergo CPR training once a year to keep their skills up,” Fedkenheuer said.

The victim was still hospitalized Friday but was in stable condition, according to Fedkenheuer, who said she could not reveal his identity.

Fawcett has been a corrections officer at South Woods since 1997.

Copyright 2007 The Daily Journal

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