Middletown EMTs Save Life Of Older Man Who Accidentally OD'd

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — This past Saturday, Middletown EMTs helped save the life of an older man who likely accidentally ingested too many painkillers.

The man survived and is recovering slowly in the intensive care unit at Bayshore Medical Center — but that is only because of life-saving first aid given by the EMTs, said Middletown EMS spokesman Django Wiegers.

"The people who brought this man back are all volunteers," said Wiegers. "And I just want to emphasize that prior to this, on that same Saturday, this crew had already responded to someone who had trouble breathing after a fall and had to be taken to Rivervew; they had to take someone to Jersey Shore Medical Center after they got a head injury from diving into a pool, among multiple other calls that day."

"We are very busy, especially on weekends in the summer."

EMS responds to an average of 12 emergency calls every day.

The Fairview ambulance crew of Silver Wolf, Colette Lichtenstein and EMS Chief Floyd Goldstein were just leaving a prior call when they were dispatched for a possible overdose less than a quarter mile away.

The crew was greeted at the front door by the man's family, who said they suspected he had accidentally overdosed on pain medication.

The family had given him two doses of Narcan, but it seemed to have no effect.

The crew found him at the top of the stairs conscious, but unresponsive. They carried him out by stretcher and put into an ambulance when paramedics from JFK Hospital arrived.

"The man's breathing was too slow," said Wiegers, so the three Middletown EMTs and paramedics started breathing assistance.

While in the ambulance, the man's heartbeat slowed and then stopped entirely, so the EMTs did chest compressions while paramedics intubated him.

While en route to Bayshore, the man's heart resumed beating on its own and chest compressions were stopped, but ventilation continued. When they left him at the Bayshore ER, the man's pulse was back but he was still unresponsive and not breathing on his own.

As of Wednesday, the man was recovering in the ICU at Bayshore, said Goldstein.

Goldstein, in his 50s, is an EMT Chief, but Wolf and Lichtenstein are only college kids in their early 20s, said Wiegers.

"These people are volunteers, busting their butts," he emphasized. "We would all love to spend a Saturday sitting by the pool, but not Middletown EMS, or any EMS for that matter. They work shifts all weekend."

Also, it's getting harder and harder to find volunteer EMS or volunteer firefighters, he said, something Middletown and Holmdel fire departments are struggling with.

"There are less and less people doing it these days," he added. "The burn-out is very high. A lot of things you see are not very pleasant. When a young child dies in front of you, or you see a motorcyclist that hit a pole, it is not pleasant."

How can you help Middletown EMS? Apply to be a member: https://www.middletownnj.org/D...

Enroll your son or daughter in EMS Explorers: http://middletownems.org/explo... or donate to your local first aid squad: http://middletownems.org/

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