Highland Park Rescue: Workers Hailed as Heroes

A man who was found unconscious in his car earlier this week is alive today after a pair of Department of Water and Power workers came to his aid, city officials said today.

Utility workers Raul Jaime and Jose Gonzalez were on break in Highland Park on Tuesday, near York Boulevard and Avenue 52, when they noticed a man in the drivers’ seat of a parked car slumped over and apparently unconscious.

The two workers tried to awaken the man, but after failing to revive him, they called 911. The emergency dispatcher instructed them to open the unlocked door of the car and begin administering CPR.

Gonzalez, who performed the emergency maneuver, was able to bring the man back to consciousness just as a Los Angeles Police Department detective arrived. Paramedics also arrived soon after to give aid to the man.

LADWP General Manager Marcie Edwards lauded the two workers today, saying “the actions of these compassionate public servants exemplify the dedication of our employees to the people of Los Angeles.”

“They made a difference by going out of their way and saving a man’s life,” she said.

--City News Service