Basking Ridge Local Saves Man’s Life Who Collapses In Store

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Carola Stern of Basking Ridge is a very modest, humble and a “low key” person. But her heroic actions on June 13 were something that couldn’t be ignored.

Stern’s son Matthew, contacted Patch to share how Carola stepped up and performed CPR on a man who collapsed at the Stop & Shop in Basking Ridge.

“I felt proud of my mother. It takes a lot of courage to act in a situation like that,” Matthew said. “My mom is a very modest person and would’ve never brought this up on her own, but I personally feel she deserved the recognition.”

Carola ran into the Stop & Shop on June 13 to grab one quick item.

It was around 2 p.m. when she heard someone call out, “Does anyone know how to do CPR?!”

“No one said anything,” Carola said. “So I figured I know CPR and saw this old man lying on the ground in the refrigerator section with his son saying, ‘Please help my father.’ ”

The man was not breathing but he did have a pulse.

With no hesitation, Carola reacted and began to perform compressions immediately.

She had just completed one round of compressions and two rescue breaths when he started to come through.

“He started breathing and someone told his son to have him squeeze his hand and he did,” Carola said. “Then his eyes opened with a blank look at first. Then his son told him to smile and he started smiling.”

At that point the Bernards Township Police and EMS responded and took over.

Certified in CPR, this was the first time Carola said she had to perform it on a real person and not a dummy. The experience shook her up a bit.

“I walked outside and stood there awhile to catch my own breath,” Carola said. “With the emergency personnel there I knew he was in good hands so I walked away knowing I left him smiling.”

Bernards Township Police confirmed the man did have a pulse and was breathing and taken to Morristown Medical Center. Due to HIPAA laws, no other information on the man could be given out. However, if the man had died the police would’ve been notified.

“I just want to credit the Y for running all these trainings on CPR,” Carola said. “They are doing amazing things.”

Although this is the first time Carola saved a life, this isn’t the first time she has given back to the community.

“She has always been contributing to our town and Bernardsville with her involvement with immigrants and teaching them to speak English through ESL and helping special needs kids with swimming,” Matthew said.

Carola was recognized as the Jack Welch Social Responsibility Champion of the Year by the Somerset Hills YMCA in December 2015. Carola is a swimming instructor at the Y and teaches Aqua Exercise at Fellowship Village. She is a volunteer at Bernardsville Public Library where she has served as Coordinator of the English-as-a-Second-Language program for many years. In fact, a few years ago, Carola was awarded our Volunteer of the Year recognition for her service at the library as well.

(Image via Bernardsville Public Library)

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