ST. PETERS, Mo. – A Jefferson County man’s story of surviving death from a fentanyl overdose will be part of an upcoming DEA summit on fentanyl.
The summit is a chance for people who have lost loved ones to overdoses to come together and help address the subject of drug-induced deaths.
Ryan Hill’s story is powerful because it is one that few people ever experience. He struggled with addictions since he was a teenager. He gave it up to have a job in corporate America.
Despite moving up and doing well in his career, Hill relapsed and fell back into drug use. He was using meth and lost everything. He lost his family and his home. Hill then turned to fentanyl and overdosed seven times. That last time, paramedics told Hill that was dead for about two minutes.
Hill told FOX 2’s Mandy Murphey he experienced the afterlife. He remembers complete darkness, with a feeling that he was falling and being smothered. He said he felt extreme fear and terror beyond anything he’s ever experienced. Hill woke up with a sheet over his face.
His second chance at life has given him a reason to live Hill now works as a certified peer recovery specialist for Chestnut Health Systems. He uses his story to help people who are stuck in active addiction.
DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey says fentanyl is their number one priority. Last year, the DEA St. Louis Office seized 818 pounds of fentanyl. They already seized more than 600 pounds during the first six months of this year.
Dickey says the lethal amount of fentanyl seized last year could have killed every Missouri citizen two times over. The DEA is encouraging all families who have lost a loved one to drug poisoning to attend the Family Summit on Fentanyl on Thursday, June 27, at the St. Peters Police Department from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to STLDiv.PublicAffairs@dea.gov.
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