An Oak Harbor police officer was recognized at a city council meeting last week for performing seven minutes of CPR on a city resident in cardiac arrest during a medical call in August.

Officer Mel Lolmaugh was given the Oak Harbor Police Department Emergency Treatment Award at the council meeting Sept. 5.

Police Capt. Tony Slowik shared with the council that Lolmaugh was the first responder on the scene of a medical call Aug. 21 for a 75-year-old man who had collapsed and was not breathing. Lolmaugh found the patient in the garage at the location of the call and immediately began performing chest compressions, which he continued when emergency medical personnel arrived on scene.

Slowik said Lolmaugh performed chest compressions for over seven minutes, allowing EMS responders to focus on airway management, intravenous medication administration and cardiac rhythm interpretation.

“Officer Lolmaugh’s training and experience led him to take quick actions in providing emergency treatment to the patient, and his actions are a credit to him and to the Oak Harbor Police Department,” Slowik said.

After multiple cycles of CPR, defibrillations and medications, the patient was temporarily stabilized and airlifted to Providence Hospital in Everett. Unfortunately, the patient experienced further complications and passed away later that evening, Police Chief Kevin Dresker said.

“I think those efforts were capable of providing some additional time,” the chief said.

Dresker said Lolmaugh has been with the department for more than 25 years and is no stranger to accolades. Lolmaugh has been recognized in the past for administering emergency medical treatments to individuals in need, and consistently makes the top number of DUI arrests, according to the chief.

“He doesn’t falter or hesitate when it comes to medical calls,” the chief said of Lolmaugh.