NAHUNTA — Officers with the Brantley County Sheriff's Department are investigating several drug overdoses which were reported on the west end of the county last Thursday evening.
Chief Deputy John Simpson confirmed Monday, January 16, the overdoses took place, but added that he could not provide any official information until the incident reports are turned in and the investigation has been completed.
One Facebook user, who serves in an official capacity with the department, reported Thursday evening, January 12 deputies and EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers and others could be credited with saving multiple lives.
“I am not at liberty to share the details, but I can say that by the grace of God and the expertise of Brantley County paramedics, EMTs, deputies, dispatchers, and others prevented a lot of heartache in our citizenry this evening,” wrote Chaplain Steve Beal. “This Chaplain was graciously allowed to witness it all firsthand.”
Beal included in his notation a list of some of the “heroes” he witnessed at work Thursday evening.
They were members of the Brantley EMS, Chad Hester, Dale Jewell, Kim Carter and David Farrior; Brantley County 911 operator Devinee Cady, who Beal said “truly had a calm voice in the midst of the genuine chaos,”; Brantley County deputies Vanessa Wilson and Christopher Edgerton, who “... provided security in a challenging environment,”; Deputy Ralph McCormick and Detention Officer James Leston Jacobs who patrolled the rest of the county while the life-saving efforts were ongoing.
“It is important to note that the decisive, lifesaving actions of all the men and women listed above occurred in the midst of a driving rainstorm,” said Beal. “Many of these folks were soaked ‘to the bone’ with cold rain, but I didn’t hear any of them complain.”
He noted these individuals continued to serve the needs of Brantley County until at least 5:30 a.m, Friday before they were relieved to go home.
“Thank You, Lord, for all of these public servants,” Beal said.
