Culinary Arts Vocational Instructor

California Youth Authority

4/19/1992

Special Service Award (Silver)

At approximately 12:30 p.m. Culinary Arts Vocational Instructor Mark Bentley witnessed a man struggling in Rancho Seco Lake. He immediately called 911 requesting an ambulance. Instead of waiting for the ambulance he began administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and felt for the victims pulse. Instructor Bentley was able to restore a pulse to the victim, but stopped CPR when the victim aspirated. He then rolled the victim on his side and made every effort to clear the airway. He noticed the airway was a major problem because the victim was breathing at about 14 breaths per minute, very labored. The victim was unconscious and did not respond to pain stimuli of knuckling the sternum. When the first park ranger arrived, Instructor Bentley ordered him to get Life Flight airborne. The park ranger had oxygen which Instructor Bentley administered by way of a mask. When the Herald fire rescue crew arrived, Instructor Bentley explained the issue of an airway problem and requested oral airway. When Life Flight arrived, Instructor Bentley gave a nurse the recap of events stressing the airway problem the victim was having. The victim was transported to UC Medical Center by helicopter, and since, the victim has fully recovered from his ordeal.