Port Authority Cops Save Man’s Life At Bus Terminal

When Port Authority police officers Jessica Toritto and Rebekah Epley came across an unconscious man slumped back in his chair in the Starbucks at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Monday morning, they knew that he was in trouble.

The man was unresponsive. His hands were cold. His face was cyanotic. And that’s when the officers’ training kicked in, according to police.

As several additional Port Authority officers arrived on the scene and helped lay the man gently on the floor of the terminal – including Sean Gallagher, Bryan Mathews, John Anthony and Andrew Biolsi – Toritto and Epley began an attempt to save his life.

Toritto checked for vital signs and found no pulse and no signs of respiration. Epley then retrieved an automated external defibrillator (AED) from a nearby wall, while Toritto began chest compressions on the unconscious man, authorities said.

Despite the officers’ attempts to revive the man, he still had no pulse. And that’s when the officers decided to use the AED.

After Gallagher cut the man’s shirt open, Epley applied a shock cycle from the defibrillator. The man responded to the shock and regained consciousness, regaining his breathing and color in his face soon afterwards, police said.

Emergency medical personnel arrived and took over care for the man. According to EMS workers, the man had gone into cardiac arrest and the quick actions of the officers “saved his life.”

Emergency responders transported the man – who was conscious and able to speak – to Mount Sinai St Luke’s Hospital for treatment, authorities said.

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Photo: Port Authority of NY/NJ