First responders save man in cardiac arrest at Stewart terminal

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NEW WINDSOR – Emergency services personnel are being credited with saving a man who collapsed and stopped breathing at the Stewart Airport terminal on Thursday night.
Airport staff, police and bystanders started CPR. An AED was placed on the patient, who was in cardiac arrest, and was shocked twice before EMS arrived.
The New Windsor Ambulance Corps had three paramedics on the scene within four minutes of the call for assistance. When they arrived, they found the man awake. The shocks from the AED and CPR restarted his heart. Paramedics stabilized his heart and transported him to St. Luke’s Cornwall hospital in Newburgh for further care.
“Incidents like this are not the usual,” said Michael Bigg, chief paramedic at New Windsor. “Thankfully everything came together [Thursday] night, such as bystanders starting CPR, and having the AED in the right place and rapid response of emergency services.” He said the EMS crew stated how helpful the State Police, fire department and airport employees were in assisting in the health crisis.
The patient is reported to be doing well and is being transferred to an Albany hospital.
Bigg said the national average for CPR survival rate is between 10 percent and 15 percent. In New Windsor it is over 35 percent. “This is largely due to many factors that I feel we can showcase after incidents such as [Thursday] night.” That was what happens when everything comes together, Bigg said.”I feel the partnership with the ambulance corps and Port Authority is very important as the airport is a large part of our community and we look forward to a long working relationship with the airport.” 




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