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A California sheriff’s assistant intern was exposed to fentanyl and would have died had his partner not stepped in to save his life, according to a new video.
The traumatic incident occurred on July 3. The San Diego Sheriff’s Office said Deputy David Faiivae was exposed to the opioid during drug processing at the scene of an arrest.
Faiivae Field Training Officer Corporal Scott Crane said they found the drugs in a car and advised Faiivae not to get too close.
Body camera footage shows Faiivae looking disoriented before backing up and collapsing onto the sidewalk.
“I caught him and he was overdosing,” Crane said.
In the video, Crane can be seen administering Narcan – which reverses overdoses and has become a crucial weapon in the fight against opioids – while trying to keep Faiivae focused on his breathing.
“I couldn’t breathe,” Faiivae said, remembering the exposure as tears flowed. “I was trying to catch my breath, but I couldn’t breathe at all.”
“He’s an invisible killer. He would have died in that parking lot,” Crane said.
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Firefighters arrived at the scene and took Faiivae to hospital.
“I don’t think people realize how deadly this is,” Faiivae said.
The Sheriff’s Department told Fox News on Thursday that Faiivae didn’t remember much of the incident and had not yet returned to work.
The department still does not know how Faiivae was exposed to the drug – whether airborne or absorbed through the skin.
Fentanyl is 50% more potent than heroin. Being exposed to just a few grams can have fatal consequences.
The San Diego Sheriff’s Department says fentanyl consumption is on the rise in California, rising about 46% last year.
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Meanwhile, the amount of fentanyl seized at the border by customs and border protection rose again in June as part of a continued rise in seizures of the deadly drug, which are now 78% higher over the course of the year. from fiscal year 2021 to date compared to all past fiscal years.
Fox News’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
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