Marine officer trio recognized for saving life of woman who overdosed

Three Marine officers were walking to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, on Feb. 7 when they saw a woman beside a bus stop, her body folded at the hip, her head between her splayed legs on the pavement.

“She was folded like a sandwich, which people don’t naturally sit that way,” said Maj. Michael Farnan, a military defense council judge advocate for the National Capital Region.

“Obviously, something was wrong,” said 1st Lt. Max Goldberg, also a military defense council judge advocate.

As the trio got closer to the woman they saw a small group, which appeared to be part of the city’s unhoused population, according to a Defense Department media release.

“Two other bystanders were attempting to sit her up, but her whole body had gone limp, and she kept collapsing on the ground,” said Capt. Harald Kirn, a judge advocate with Legal Services Support Team, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California.

What the trio did next resulted in each receiving the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for their actions this week.

Kirn thought perhaps the woman had overdosed, which he had seen before. Farnan called 911 while Kirn assessed the woman’s condition.

Another woman nearby had a clear plastic bag with a lot of items inside. Goldberg asked if she had Narcan, a drug administered to assist in opiate overdose.

Goldberg retrieved the Narcan and gave it to the prostrate woman, whose breathing and pulse immediately got stronger, according to the release.

Farnan directed emergency medical personnel to the woman, flagging them down as they drove to the scene.

Kirn said he felt a hesitation for “two seconds” but was inspired by how quickly Goldberg reacted, snapping him back to the moment to help.

“It is easy to do the right thing when you’re surrounded by other people who are also doing the right thing,” Farnan said. “One of the advantages of being a Marine is that you’re surrounded by people who are signed up to do a ‘good thing.’”

Each credited Marine Corps training with their reactions to the situation.

“Marines are taught to be we’re more than just ourselves,” he said. “Resist that modern temptation to just walk by — pause for a moment, even if you don’t know them, and if someone needs help, you should stop what you’re doing and help them.”