In the nick of time: Morristown police rescue man at death’s door

Morristown police rescue an apparent heart attack victim on King Street. Photo by Geoffrey Gogan
Morristown police rescue an apparent heart attack victim on King Street. Photo by Geoffrey Gogan
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Morristown police rescue an apparent heart attack victim on King Street. Photo by Geoffrey Gogan
Morristown police rescue an apparent heart attack victim on King Street. Photo by Geoffrey Gogan

After a heart attack, every second counts.

Morristown police did not waste a single instant on Monday–and a construction worker now is resting in the hospital instead of the morgue largely thanks to their swift response.

Detectives Keith Hudson, Kevin Beal, Teddy Jones and Dennis Bergman were having lunch at Pomodoro’s on Morris Street around 12:30 pm when they got the call that a man was down on King Street, about a block away. They dropped their turkey- and pepperoni wraps and sprinted to find Antonio Alves, 47, sprawled beside an open manhole cover.

The man was not breathing and had no pulse, recounted Lt. Darnell Richardson, who arrived at the scene soon afterward.

Bergman immediately performed CPR, forcefully pushing on Alves’ chest. Officers took turns for several minutes, said eyewitness Geoffrey Gogan, a nearby resident.

A patrol car came with a defibrillator.

Three electrical shocks were applied to the man. No response. Police loaded him into a rescue vehicle from the Atlantic Health System, where another shock was administered.

“The fourth time, the shock got a pulse back,” said Richardson, a 26-year police veteran and volunteer fireman who formerly served on an ambulance crew.

“That’s a lucky man,” police Capt. Michael Buckley said of Alves, an Elizabeth resident who was working for the J0-Med Contracting Corp. on a town project.

Buckley responded to the call along with Lt. Matt Edwards and Officers Paul Johnson, Michael Alberto, Don Chaudruc and Richard Rispoli.

“It was a collaborative effort to save this guy’s life,” said Richardson.

The detectives visited briefly with Alves in the cardiac intensive care unit of Morristown Medical Center on Wednesday.

“He thanked us,” despite having no memory of his brush with death, Hudson related. Hospital staff later said Alves was resting and could not speak with Morristown Green.

Morristown patrol cars carry defibrillators, but officers said they rarely are called upon to use them.  Successful “saves” are even rarer, said Bergman.

Jones said this was his first one in a dozen years on the force. Hudson recalled helping revive a man on a Liberty Street porch some years back. Richardson helped save someone at a car dealership before that.

The police sought no accolades; a resident alerted Morristown Green to the commotion on King Street.

Saving a life “feels good,” Jones acknowledged. “But I would expect the same if I or a family member were in the same situation.”

“It’s part of our job,” Beal added. “It’s rewarding when you find that you’ve helped someone. It’s a bonus.”

TO THE RESCUE: Morristown Detectives Teddy Jones, Dennis Bergman, Keith Hudson and Kevin Beal put their emergency training--and sprinting speed--to the test, helping revive an apparent heart attack victim. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
TO THE RESCUE: Morristown Detectives Teddy Jones, Dennis Bergman, Keith Hudson and Kevin Beal put their emergency training–and sprinting speed–to the test, helping revive an apparent heart attack victim. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Editor’s note: Our thanks to reader Geoff Gogan for this news tip.

 

4 COMMENTS

  1. There are few things more valuable than a trained police officer. As a former cop, I know all too well what we bring to the community.

  2. Bravo, Gents! That’s just what good training’s all about. Be very proud!

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