Greenwich Police Officer Who Revived Stricken Woman at the Beach Is Honored

What was supposed to be a relaxing day at the beach of Greenwich Point Park for off-duty Greenwich Police Officer Sean Welsh turned out to anything but that.

And because of what happened on Sunday, Aug. 9, Welsh has been named the Greenwich Police Department’s Officer of the Month for August.

The Greenwich Public Safety Dispatch Center had received a report of an unresponsive female down in the water near the flagpole on the beach. A civilian who was near the 81-year-old woman when she collapsed, called out for help and began to pull the victim out of the water and onto the beach, according to police.

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Welsh saw the commotion and approached to render assistance. Police said that when the victim was pulled from the water onto the beach, she was not breathing and didn’t have a distinguishable pulse. Welsh, who in his youth was a lifeguard and who also is an Emergency Medical Technician immediately began performing CPR with the on-duty lifeguards.

Greenwich Emergency Medical Service brought the patient to the Stamford Hospital emergency room where the patient began breathing on her own and was admitted in stable condition.

The Town of Greenwich is a designated by the Connecticut Department of Health as a Heart Safe Community. Greenwich Police Officers are the designated as first responders and are both trained and equipped to provide advanced first aid to the seriously ill and injured patients in a pre-hospital setting. In a statement, the department said, “Our officers’ response along with the expert paramedic services provided by our partners in the Greenwich Emergency Medical Service has been credited with saving lives.”

Police Chief James Heavey said, “The highest calling of a police officer is to preserve life. (Police Officer) Welsh lived up to adage often espoused by those of us in Law Enforcement; Honor is never off duty.”

Heavey added, “On behalf of the citizens of Greenwich I thank and commend Officer Welsh for his dedication to duty and the people of Greenwich.”

Photo: Greenwich Police Officer Sean Welsh. Courtesy of Greenwich Police.