Ross County, OH- In a community that has seen more than its fair share of tragedy, two Ross County women are being called heroes for stopping and rescuing a man who was near death.
The man’s car was off the road and filled with carbon monoxide. A woman saw the tail lights of the vehicle off the road and in tall weeds around 4 a.m. Wednesday, and went to the road to flag down help.
Jessica Farley was the second person to stop. The two women realized that driver was slumped in the front seat with the car running and the doors locked. One woman called 911 while Farley grabbed her son’s baseball bat, smashing out the side window.
I was giving him CPR and he was barely breathing, Farley said. There were two car seats in the back of his car. I knew he had kids, it was devastating.
Farley kept up CPR until medics arrived.
When they took him out he was in bad shape, I could barely feel a pulse, Farley says.
Cottrill’s sister Jennifer Partee came to the Bridge Street McDonald’s where Farley works to thank her for saving her brother.
As Farley came from behind the counter, Partee hugged her and said you saved his life by stopping.
It is a feeling I have never felt before, Partee said. I can never show her enough gratitude, there will never be enough. My family are grateful to both women, I wish I knew who the other woman was.
Even after her own heroic acts, Farley wants the other woman to share credit for the life saved.
I wanted to find out who the young girl was that was there and personally thank her. Because had she not been there I would have never seen him, says Farley.
Cottrill was released from the hospital at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and is home with a slight headache.
The mystery woman who facilitated Cottrill’s rescue has been identified and will be meeting Partee, Cottrill and Jessica Farley.
Partee says it was a faulty exhaust that caused the carbon monoxide to enter the vehicle. She says he was within miles of his home when he was overcome by the fumes