California deputy trainee exposed to fentanyl, collapses in harrowing video

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A California sheriff’s deputy trainee was exposed to fentanyl and would’ve died had his partner not jumped into action to save his life, newly released video shows. 

The traumatic incident happened on July 3. The San Diego Sheriff’s Office said Deputy David Faiivae was exposed to the opioid while processing drugs at the scene of an arrest. 

Faiivae’s field training officer, Corporal Scott Crane, said they had found the drug in a car and he advised Faiivae not to get too close. 

Body camera footage shows Faiivae appearing disoriented before taking a step back and collapsing on the pavement. 

"I grabbed him and he was OD’ing," Crane said. 

In the video, Crane can be seen administering Narcan – which reverses overdoses and has become a crucial weapon in the fight against opioids – while trying to keep Faiivae focused on breathing. 

"I couldn’t breathe," Faiivae says, recalling the exposure as tears well up. "I was trying to grasp for breath, but I couldn’t breathe at all."

"It’s an invisible killer. He would’ve died in that parking lot," Crane said. 

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The fire department arrived on the scene and drove Faiivae to the hospital. "I don’t think people realize the severity of how deadly it really is," Faiivae said. 

Since the video's release, a coalition of doctors has questioned the department's conclusion that fentanyl exposure caused Faiivae to pass out. The American College of Medical Toxicology and American Academy of Clinical Toxicology announced in 2017 that while fentanyl and similar opioids were potent, "the risk of clinically significant exposure to emergency responders is extremely low. To date, we have not seen reports of emergency responders developing signs or symptoms consistent with opioid toxicity from incidental contact with opioids."

Still, the sheriff's department stood by its account, tweeting: "We know what factually happened and our deputy almost died from a fentanyl exposure. This is a deadly substance!"

The sheriff’s department told Fox News that Faiivae did not remember much from the incident and has not yet returned to work. 

The department remained unsure of how Faiivae was exposed to the drug – whether it was airborne, or absorbed on his skin. 

Fentanyl is 50% more potent than heroin. Being exposed to just a few grams can potentially have deadly consequences. 

The San Diego Sheriff’s Department says fentanyl use is on the rise in California, having increased roughly 46% in the last year. 

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Meanwhile, the amount of fentanyl seized at the border by Customs and Border Protection increased again in June as part of a continued surge in seizures of the deadly drug, which are now 78% higher in fiscal year 2021 so far compared to all of the last fiscal year.

Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.