Police responded to a Gold Star Highway business just before 6 p.m. to aid an unresponsive 34-year-old man. First-responders found the man on the bathroom floor and quickly administered Narcan to reverse the effects of the suspected overdose .
Just two hours later, units responded to a home on "D" Street for another unresponsive individual. A 29-year-old man was found and emergency crews took critical measures to save him from a fatal overdose.
While still at the "D" Street scene, crews were once again alerted to another overdose on Midway Oval. Upon arrival to the third scene, responders provided a 44-year-old victim with Narcan. Despite their urgency, that man was unable to be revived and was soon pronounced dead at the scene.
The two earlier victims were both taken to Lawrence and Memorial Hospital and are expected to survive.
Detectives are working to determine whether any of the heroin used was laced with fentanyl. Also, they're looking into whether the three overdoses are connected.
"Everyones out there doing the push to try and identify these narcotics traffickers and arrest them to take their product off the street," Lt. John Varone said. "We’re being very successful in doing that but the flow is still out there, that just goes to give a great example of how much of this drug is in our community."
Varone said from Tuesday, April 12, to Friday, April 15, the town of Groton had five overdoses, three which were fatal.
"It's progressively getting worse, to the point that everybody is now affected by it," he said. "This epidemic crosses every social barrier, every economic barrier. People you would never expect are addicted to opioids."
Since January, there have been a total of 12 reported overdoses, according to Groton Police. There were a total of 18 in 2015.
Varone said after a person overdoses and is taken to the hospital, an officer will interview that person. At that time, they recommend that person seek help.
"They’re usually just over the overdose. They realize the severity of it. They’re hurting. They need help. We can get them that help at that time," he said.
That's when police recommend people reach out to organizations such as Community Speaks Out, and get into a facility.
That organization is run by Tammy and Joe de la Cruz, a couple who helped their son recover from addiction. They help guide families through the same process.
"I really want to get to Hartford and have a state of emergency issued," Tammy de la Cruz said.
The couple feels more should be done by the state to help fight this epidemic.
"When we have a hurricane and we have some structural damage done to our homes and coastline, FEMA comes in and tries to rebuild," she said. "When are we gonna take the same consideration to our people?"
Community Speaks Out urges anyone reach out to them if you know someone suffering from addiction by calling (860) 271-1835, or emailing communityspeaksout@gmail.com