NJ officers revive 74-year-old man after race collapse
On Saturday, September 19, a 74-year-old man was running in Bergen County’s 5K race in Haworth.
He was almost there.
Just about 100 yards from the finish line on Haworth Avenue, he collapsed.
Cardiac arrest.
Now, here’s where this story changes. Four Bergen County officers made the difference in how this story ends: Demarest Police Officer Matthew Carey and Haworth Police Officers Justin Fox, Gianluca Ragone and James Morgan.
Officer Matthew Carey wasn’t on duty. He was running the race.
When Carey saw the man down, he stopped immediately and began helping him.
Within moments, Haworth Officers Justin Fox, Gianluca Ragone and James Morgan arrived.
They knew they didn’t have much time.
The officers used a defibrillator. One shock, and the runner’s heart started beating again.
The 74-year-old regained consciousness before being transported to Englewood Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
Four officers, one life-saving response
Officer Fox later made a point that I think gets to the heart of Blue Friday.
Police officers train for emergencies like this, but training for something and suddenly finding yourself responsible for another human being’s life are two very different things.
When that moment came, these officers worked together.
No hesitation, just four cops and other first responders doing exactly what needed to be done.
There’s one more thing you should know about Officer Carey: He serves with the Demarest Police Department, and he's a lieutenant with the volunteer Demarest Fire Department.
Service clearly isn’t something he switches on when a shift starts.
Thanks to Matthew Carey, Justin Fox, Gianluca Ragone, James Morgan and the first responders alongside them, the 74-year-old got something considerably more important: another chance at life.
Officers, thank you for your service.
You are our Blue Friday honorees.
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Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own.
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