Four Darien police officers have been commended by the Police Commission for their actions in two recent incidents — one involving a female who appeared to be intent on hurting herself; the other, a man found unconscious in a swimming pool.
Commendations went to Officers Edwin Vigil, Greg Benedetto, Kevan Taggart and Sgt. Alison Hudyma. The following descriptions of their actions came from a police spokesman and from the minutes of the Sept. 19 meeting of the Darien Police Commission:
The first incident (unrelated to the second), took place on Aug. 2, when officers were called to an area of the Post Road near Norwalk after a report came in about a female who appeared to be at risk of harming herself.
At first, police couldn’t find the female, but her cell phone number was obtained, and Vigil began communicating by text messages with her. He was able to determine the female’s location, and she was eventually found and taken to a hospital.
No allegations of criminal actions were made in the incident. Vigil’s actions were recognized by the commission as exemplary.
In the other incident, on Aug. 15, the three other sworn members of the Police Department were later recognized as exemplary “for their heroic efforts” in trying to rescue an elderly man from the bottom of a swimming pool at a residence on Meadowbrook Road.
He was unconscious and motionless when police arrived at the scene. Hudyma and Benedetto went in the pool and brought him to the surface, where Taggart then helped in getting him out of the pool and on the ground.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was started, and an automated external defibrillator was used. The man was revived by the officers and taken to Norwalk Hospital where he passed away about 24 hours later.