Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Commission honors lifesaving efforts

By RALPH ANSAMI

[email protected]

Ironwood - "I cannot thank you enough," Kenneth Wegmeyer, of Ironwood, said Monday as the people who saved his life on Aug. 17 were honored.

The Ironwood City Commission recognized the citizen volunteers, public safety officers and Beacon Ambulance attendants who revived Wegmeyer after he suffered a heart attack while riding his bike with the Superior Riders that evening.

Wegmeyer was able to joke Monday that he really doesn't remember much of that day. "I was out of commission at that time," he said.

Others remember people helping him, however, while some club members prayed for him at the scene.

Randy Forstrom, director of Beacon Ambulance Service, Hurley, noted Ann Davey, Donald Guglielmotto and Karen Hagemann immediately began administering cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on Wegmeyer.

Ironwood Public Safety Department officers Sgt. Adam Clemens, Sheryl Norman and Andrew Leiphart continued CPR, while Beacon paramedics Joe Bach and Alicia Zazeski then provided advanced cardiac life support.

Forstrom appeared before the city commission to represent the Beacon employees and IPSD Director Andrew DiGiorgio represented his officers.

Mayor Annette Burchell praised the lifesaving efforts as Davey and Guglielmotto were on hand to accept the award.

Wegmeyer regained his pulse after a defibrillator was used twice that day. He was first taken by ambulance to Aspirus Grand View Hospital and later transported to a cardiac care hospital, where he had bypass surgery, and he's now recovering.