Officer Hansell Earns Lifesaving Award

Officer Matt Hansell and Chief Sean Brandenburg.

In a recent awards ceremony hosted by the Grand Key Resort, Key West Police Chief Sean Brandenburg recognized the accomplishment of several of our members for the first half of 2023. Among them were a number of Lifesaving Awards, including recognition of Officer Matt Hansell.

On January 28, Officer Hansell located a female that had been previously been reported as missing or endangered. The woman left a note to her family regarding her suicide and had taken several bottles of prescription medications from her home.

Officers had been searching several different locations for the woman and had not been able to find her. While officers searched the area of the last location for any potential clues or evidence, Officer Hansell doubled back to an overflow parking lot and located the woman inside her vehicle.

She was unresponsive and he immediately began administering life saving techniques. The woman’s breathing was shallow, and Officer Hansel ascertained that she was suffering from an overdose. He used department-issued NARCAN and administered two doses, followed by several sternum rubs.

“Had Officer Hansell not checked the vehicles and immediately rendered first aid life saving techniques,” said Chief Brandenburg, “the woman likely would not have survived.”