Two sheriff’s deputies in Walton County are being called heroes after saving a man who collapsed inside of a gym at a resort. Hooks and William Curtis responded to a call from a resort located a few miles from Silver Sands. When they arrived on the scene, they found that the man was not breathing and had an erratic pulse.
Curtis checked the man’s pulse, and Hooks set up the AED. Curtis started CPR, and Hooks used the AED. Curtis continued to perform CPR until the paramedics arrived on the scene and took over. They were still performing CPR when they lifted the man into the ambulance. The man was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital. The paramedics told Curtis and Hook that the man was saved because they quickly administered the AED and CPR. Both men stated that they had used first aid and CPR during past calls.
Hooks and Curtis even went to visit the man at the hospital. They asked the man if he was okay, and he gave them the thumps up. The man stated he did not know what had happened to him. Curtis and Hook stated that they normally go and check on patients who are transported to the hospital if they are able to.
In 2014, Hooks received a life saving Award. He saved someone’s life by pulling them out of the Gulf of Mexico and administering CPR.