Howell Police Receive Commendations For Saving Distraught Man's Life

HOWELL, NJ — Three Howell Township police officers and a dispatcher have received commendations for their actions that prevented a young man from taking his life in October.

Howell Township Police Officers Richard Robertiello, Daniel Bozza, and Nicholas Austin, and Telecommunicator Amy Bordfeld, were honored by Police Chief Andrew J. Kudrick Jr. and the NJ Chaplains Association on Monday in connection with the incident.

Robertiello, Austin and Bozza responded to a report of a missing and possibly suicidal person about 9 p.m. on Oct. 16 and after a search based on information from the man's family, found him in the woods near Aldrich School, police said at the time.

The 21-year-old man was hanging from a tree with a rope tied around his neck and his feet a foot off the ground and was unconscious, police said. The trio worked together to cut the rope and then provided first aid that resulted in the man regaining consciousness, police said.

The man did not suffer any life-threatening injuries, police said.

“The quick and decisive actions by our patrol officers as well as the telecommunicators who coordinated the response are directly responsible for saving this young man’s life," Kudrick said at the time. "Any delay or misstep during that call would have resulted in an opposite and sad ending. Lives would have been entirely changed forever."

Chaplains Israel Bursztyn and Yankel Wenger presented their highest recognition, the Lifesaving Award, while Kudrick issued a department commendation to the officers and to Bordfeld, whose daughter was present to witness the outstanding job her mother did, Howell police said.

The department posted the commendation of Robertiello on Facebook for the public to see.

Photos via Howell Township Police 911 Communications Facebook page