Almo man's life saved by AED he helped purchase for sheriff's department

An Almo man was saved in January by the automated external defibrillator he helped purchase for the Calloway County Sheriff's Office.

When Mike Mitchell made a donation in 2021 to help the Calloway County Sheriff's department buy AEDs for all of their patrol cars, he knew they would help save lives.

Little did he know that less than a year later, it would be his own life on the line.

On the morning of Jan. 18, Calloway County 911 Dispatcher Dan Galloway received a call from Whitney Mitchell, reporting that her husband Mike had collapsed and was unresponsive. Galloway immediately began instructing Whitney how to perform CPR on her husband. At the same time, Galloway dispatched Deputy Richard Steen and an ambulance to the residence.

Kentucky State Trooper Mike Ray heard the call and also responded to the residence. When Steen and Ray arrived, they took over CPR, and Steen attached an automated external defibrillator, which is a portable medical device designed to analyze the heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock to victims and restore the heart rhythm to normal.

Murray-Calloway County EMS transported Mitchell to Murray-Calloway County Hospital, where he was later released and is recovering at home.

“The quickness of everyone involved was key to saving Mr. Mitchell’s life,” said Calloway County Sheriff Nicky Knight. “Also key was the fact that our patrol vehicle had an AED available. I’m so thankful Mr. Mitchell’s donation came full circle and he is recovering from his cardiac event.”

Mitchell, who is the owner of Mitchell’s Towing, was one of the first business owners to donate to the campaign to have an AED installed in every Calloway sheriff's patrol vehicle. With his help and others, the Sheriff’s Office was fully equipped, and less than a year later one of those AEDs saved his life.

In 2004 dispatcher Galloway, then a Calloway County deputy, suffered a cardiac event and was saved with an AED.

Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in adults over the age of 40. Unfortunately, the survival rate from cardiac arrest is currently poor – only around 10% of people survive. AEDs are becoming standard equipment in businesses, stores and churches where non-medical personnel can follow simple instructions and use the device to provide lifesaving temporary care until an ambulance can arrive.



Pictured is Mike Mitchell making a donation in 2021 for the purchase of AEDs. Photo courtesy of Calloway County Sheriff's Department.