Ilsa Minor | Daily Press Escanaba resident Mike Bittner, left, stands with the three Escanaba Public Safety Officers who saved his life with CPR last year. PSOs Mitch Peterson, Dalton Deneau and Austin Young were given life saving awards at the March 21 Escanaba City Council meeting.

ESCANABA — Three Escanaba Public Safety Officers were recognized this month for saving the life of an Escanaba man.

On July 20, 2023, at approximately 8:42 p.m., officers were dispatched to a home in the 200 block of Ogden Avenue on a report of an unresponsive male subject, later identified as Mike Bittner, whose wife was attempting life-saving measures.

Officers who arrived on scene began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and comforting Bittner’s wife, as well as gathering all the pertinent information about her husband. Public Safety Officers Mitch Peterson, Dalton Deneau and Austin Young performed the CPR, switching out as needed to prevent any one officer from becoming too fatigued to keep the process going.

The actions of Peterson, Deneau and Young freed up responding EMTs from Rampart EMS. Rampart administered medications to Bittner and shocked his heart five time until a steady pulse was found.

Bitner was transported to OSF St. Francis Hospital. A week later, on July 27, Public Safety was informed Bittner was back home with no impairments from the incident.

At the March 21 Escanaba City Council meeting, Chief of Police John Gudwer present the three officers with a lifesaving award. In addition to the officer’s families, Bittner was present for the presentation.

“I believe the outcome would not have been possible without the quick actions taken by these officers. Due to the actions of PSOs Mitch Peterson, Dalton Deneau and Austin Young, Mr. Bittner’s life was saved,” Gudwer told the audience at the meeting.