South Brunswick Man Survives Near-Drowning, Saved By Police, EMS

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Officers from the South Brunswick Police Department and EMS saved a resident from near-drowning on Saturday.

On July 10, at 1 p.m., South Brunswick Police received a 911 call from a Green Shadow Lane resident reporting that she found her husband face down and unconscious in their swimming pool, police said.

The 49-year-old man was cleaning their inground pool around when his wife noticed him unresponsive and floating in the deep end, said police. Both husband and wife were not swimmers, so she used a pool skimmer to pull her husband to the edge, where she was able to hold his head above water, according to the police.

A second family member then arrived and pulled the victim out of the pool. Officer Ryan Bartunek and Lieutenant Roger Tuohy arrived at the home within minutes of the 911 call and found the victim on his back outside the pool, police said.

Officers began life-saving efforts as large amounts of water were coming from the victim’s stomach and lungs. South Brunswick EMS and paramedics arrived minutes later and continued efforts, police said.

EMS then transported the victim to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. The man began breathing on his own and had regained consciousness, according to the police.

The victim had been cleaning the swimming pool when he accidentally stepped into a corner of the deep end and fell in, police said. The resident is recovering at the hospital and hopes to be released Wednesday.

Chief Raymond J. Hayducka praised the response by all involved. “It is clear that the response by family members, officers, and EMS prevented a tragedy,” Hayducka said

“Every second counts in near-drowning incidents and their efforts made a difference.”

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