Personnel from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) water distribution team recently helped to save the life of an elderly man who was involved in a car accident.
The LADWP team was working in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles on February 1 installing mainline pipe when, during their lunch break, they noticed a car abruptly stop down the block that had just pulled out of a nearby driveway moments earlier.
Sal Perez, a LADWP senior water utility Worker who has been with LADWP for seven years, realized that the car, driven by an elderly man, had hit a parked car. Shortly thereafter some neighbors began tapping on the man’s car windows but the man was unresponsive and his car doors were locked.
The group of LADWP crew members hurried over to offer their assistance. Perez called over to his fellow crew members who brought over a hammer. The group was able to break the rear passenger-side window which enabled them to access the driver’s side door, put the car in park, and pull the man out from the car.
While neighbors called 911, Robert Valdez, who has been with LADWP for four years, began administering CPR while waiting for the paramedics, who arrived within minutes. Acting without hesitation was critical, as the entire episode lasted only 7-10 minutes, LADWP noted.
The next day, Perez followed up with neighbors and was told the man suffered a major heart attack but was resting comfortably in a nearby intensive care unit.
Along with Perez and Valdez, other members of Water Distribution’s Western District who responded to the emergency were David Carlson, Water Utility Worker, Dennis Jones- Heavy Duty Truck Operator, Stephen Patino, Maintenance and Construction Helper, and Louie Puentes, Backhoe Operator.
