(L-R) Hankins and Logan

slideshow

WAYNE ALLEN

PDT Staff Writer

Darrell Logan and Darryl Hankins have been named this year’s First Aid Heroes, as a part of the Red Cross Heroes Celebration.

“A year ago, we were at dinner at Dakota’s. One of the waitresses came in and asked if anyone knew the heimlich maneuver,” Hankins said.

Hankins is a nurse at Southern Ohio Correctional Facility and Logan is a training officer.

“The heimlich maneuver was attempted for several minutes and the person collapsed. When he collapsed I established there was no pulse, so we started C.P.R,” Hankins said. “We continued C.P.R. until the squad got there. When they arrived they intubated him and could not get the tube in his throat. They found a very large chunk of meat stuck in his throat. They pulled the chunk of meat out and got him back.”

Hankins said that him and Logan went and visited the person in the hospital.

“It’s great to be honored with this award,” Logan said. “We do this at work all the time at work and it’s something you automatically respond to. I just hope that if I’m ever in that situation someone responds in that way for me.”

Mary Arnzen, executive Director of the Ohio River Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross said, “They were asked to help in a situation where someone was chocking. Hats off to them and what they did.”

The 2012 Ohio River Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross had its annual Heroes Celebration on Thursday at the SOMC Friends Center, 1202 18th Street Portsmouth. This year’s guest speaker was Michael Hingson, who, with the help of his dog “Roselle,” escaped from the 78th floor of the World Trade Center, moments before it collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001.

Wayne Allen may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 208, or wallen@heartlandpublications.com.