It was as if time stood still. Only the sound of sirens wailing through Langhorne and Langhorne Manor boroughs and traffic whizzing by on Route 1 could be heard.
A group of regular citizens – everyday people – stood and helped a man felled by a cardiac emergency on the Hulmeville Road overpass bridge in Langhorne shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday. Two men performed CPR on the middle-aged man laying still on the shoulder of the road. A group of bystanders called 9-1-1 and helped direct first responders to the scene.
Advertisements
The man – whose name and age have not been released – was helped by numerous bystanders until Langhorne Borough Chief of Police Steven Mawhinney and the Penndel-Middletown Emergency Squad showed up. Mawhinney said the medics used their Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on the man. An ambulance from Bensalem, members of the Middletown Township Fire Marshal’s office and firefighters from the Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company then arrived to assist.
As of press time, the man’s condition was not known. However, he had regained a pulse when he was loaded in the ambulance, an official said.
Middletown Fire Marshal Jim McGuire said members of his staff are trained on how to handle cardiac emergencies and carry AEDs with them. He said members of his department have helped in numerous similar emergencies.
Advertisements
While the ultimate outcome of the life-saving efforts displayed by average citizens and local first responders is unknown, it should serve as a reminder for all to learn CPR. Click here for more information on CPR and local classes.
