According to Hackensack Police Department officials, five women who work at the upscale Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, New Jersey, suffered from overdoses of fentanyl.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon in the lower deck of the parking garage, where the employees were found unresponsive after ingesting the deadly drug.
A good Samaritan, another employee at the shopping center who witnessed the scene found three of the women lying on the ground, and immediately responded by grabbing life-saving equipment and administering CPR.
The man, who preferred to remain anonymous, reported that the women had blue lips and hands.
He performed CPR on the women, all of whom were adults between the ages of 29 and 41 and showing overdose symptoms. Investigators said Narcan was administered to all five, and each one was revived.
“It was just an instinct; someone’s life was on the line. I knew if it was me, we saw what happened to that player from the Bills, we know how important CPR is,” said the man, referencing Damar Hamlin.
All five women were revived after Narcan was administered to them. The women were between 29 and 41 years old and showed symptoms of overdose.
The man who provided CPR reported that he had recently undergone recertification in CPR training, and his actions were instinctual in response to the emergency.
While the investigation is in its early stages, police say they suspect that the women became unresponsive after they ingested fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid that is responsible for an increasing number of drug-related deaths across the country.
“It is truly heartbreaking to see the terrible toll taken by these illicit and dangerous substances,” said Hackensack Mayor John Labrosse. “My office has been working closely with law enforcement since this tragic incident was first reported, and we will continue to offer any necessary support to the emergency responders and the rest of the community as the situation continues to unfold.”
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