Rescue personnel overcome by heat attending to Town of Tiffany victim

The following is a news release from the Dunn County Sheriff, dated September 4, 2012:

On Wednesday, August 29, 2012 at 4:47 p.m. the Dunn County E-9-1-1 Center received a request for an ambulance in the Town of Tiffany.

The caller was reporting that a 65-year-old male who was in a wooded area with no pulse. The Boyceville Ambulance Service and Deputies from the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the scene. The location was identified as being on the west side of 280th Street, north of 1130th Avenue.

Boyceville Ambulance and a deputy arrived at 5:01 and made their way down a hill to the victim of this incident. When first responders reached the location of the victim, they made an assessment and began doing CPR. During that time more first responders were responding and a helicopter ambulance was requested. Lifelink III was then dispatched to the scene.

The victim was identified as 65-year-old Dennis Rettke of rural Boyceville. He had been in the woods doing some mowing with a four wheeler with pull behind gas mower. There was nothing that would indicate anything suspicious, and because of the heat and the possible physical exertion, it is believed the cause of death was medical in nature.

During the time that first responders were at the scene, the air temperature was about 90 degrees. They were involved in carrying heavy medical equipment to the victim’s location and moving about on the steep hill side. After a Boyceville EMT and a Dunn County deputy sheriff had conducted CPR for some time, they were overcome by the heat because of the amount of physical exertion and temperature. Both were transported for medical care. The EMT was transported to Mayo – Menomonie by Boyceville Ambulance Service and the deputy was transported to Mayo – Eau Claire by Lifelink III because of medical concerns.

Both the EMT and the deputy have recovered and are doing well.