‘I Took My Last Breath’: LI Man Reunites With Good Samaritans Who Saved His Life

HAUPPAUGE, NY — Hauppauge resident Tom Norchi had just finished speaking about an issue close to his heart when his heart stopped.

Norchi, 69, was attending a Jan. 14 public meeting at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge to advocate for the rebuilding of the dam at Blydenburgh County Park.

Moments after delivering his remarks and returning to his seat, Norchi suffered sudden cardiac arrest in front of a room filled with people who had gathered for the hearing.

On Monday, during National CPR and AED Awareness Week, Norchi returned to the same county building to reunite with the Good Samaritans, county staff members and emergency responders credited with saving his life.

“The first and most important message is thanks to Good Samaritans who stepped forward in a time of crisis,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said. “Emergencies happen every day, usually when you least expect it. But if you know what to do — as these Good Samaritans and two of my staff members knew what to do — they saved a life. They saved a life when it looked like that wasn’t going to be possible.”

Michael Martino, the county’s communications director, ran to get an AED, while staff member Brian Monahan called 911. Good Samaritans, including Tom Gulbransen, Brian Mahon Carol Cherwinsky and Shawn Vinotis, helped perform CPR and use the AED before emergency responders arrived.

“They worked with CPR and then they worked with AED to bring Tom back,” Romaine said.

The Jan. 14 meeting centered on whether Suffolk County should rebuild the dam at Blydenburgh County Park after it broke during a heavy rainstorm, flooding areas to the north, Romaine said.

The issue drew passionate speakers on both sides of the issue, including Norchi, who supported rebuilding the dam.

After Norchi spoke at the meeting he said he felt a surge of energy going through his body, which he thought was an anxiety attack.

"I remember bending over because I wanted to get my act together, and coming up, I took my last breath," he said. "I died at that time.”

Norchi said six people came together in that moment to save him.

"It looks like they knew what they were doing, because I am here," he said. "They did an excellent job."

Norchi was shocked multiple times with the AED before he regained consciousness. Norchi said he does not remember everything that happened while he was unconscious, but he remembers waking up.

The first person he saw was Shawn, who smiled and told him, “Welcome back for the third time.”

Norchi said the speed of the response made all the difference.

“The big thing is that because of their actions, I was in the hospital on a Wednesday and was released Friday afternoon,” Norchi said. “That’s how important it is to start CPR and oxygen immediately, and from what I heard, they did within under a minute. That’s why I’m here today, and that’s why I look so good.”

County fire, rescue and emergency officials said sudden cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, often without warning, making bystander response critical in the first moments before emergency crews arrive.

official said Suffolk County has more than 2,000 public-access defibrillators, including AEDs in county buildings, restaurants and other locations. In 2025, Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services received approximately 10,000 calls for heart-related emergencies, including about 2,000 cardiac arrests, officials said.

Suffolk County emergency dispatchers are trained to provide CPR instructions over the phone when callers dial 911. The county trained 6,000 residents in CPR in 2025 and has trained 2,500 residents so far in 2026, officials said.

Suffolk County Health Commissioner is Dr. Gregson Pigott said Norchi’s case showed why people should not assume they are unqualified to help during a medical emergency.

“You don’t need medical training when something happens,” Pigott said. “So, you say, ‘Ah, this person collapsed. What do I do?’ Well, yes, call 911, but you have to act. Those seconds matter. If you don’t do anything — waiting for the ambulance to get there — It’s already too late. The heart stops beating. There’s no oxygen going around to different tissues in the body. So you have to act.”

Gulbransen, an East Setauket resident, Mayor of Old Field Village and lieutenant with the Setauket Fire Department, was one of the Good Samaritans recognized Monday. He said the save was not just about what happened in the room that day. It was also about the training that came before it.

"A lot of the volunteers have to do all these trainings,” Gulbransen said to Patch. “That’s one of the hardest things about getting people to stay in the department. But when you get trained, this is the kind of stuff that can happen.”

The January meeting had about 110 people in attendance. After Norchi collapsed, responders worked on him, kept the crowd away and then stepped back once the advanced life support crew arrived.

Minutes later, Gulbransen said, the room learned Norchi was speaking as he was taken to the ambulance.

Cherwinsky, a retired nurse, said being prepared to step forward in an emergency is part of serving the community.

She said Norchi’s survival depended on people acting before EMS arrived.

“As soon as he was in cardiac arrest, waiting for EMS would be too long,” Cherwinsky said. “You have to have that first line to get there to step up.”

When asked what Norchi said to her when they met afterward, Cherwinsky said, “He said, ' My angel. Thank you. Thank you for being there.”

Norchi said he now wants his story to motivate others to learn CPR and AED use, especially parents.

“I believe that every parent should be concerned about learning CPR,” Norchi said to Patch . “You never know when it’s going to happen. There are so many uses for this, and if you think you have the courage to do it, try and do it. It’s free, and you could save somebody’s life.

Norchi said he has always tried to live a full and active life, so the experience did not completely change his outlook. But it reinforced what matters most to him.

“I’ve always led a full active life, basically a happy-go-lucky guy,” Norchi said. “My goal in life every day is to make people smile, at least two, and today I’m over my limit, so I’m blessed to have a wife. We are great friends and that’s what makes me happy.”

Norchi thanked his wife, Phyllis, and said the people who saved him are now part of his life.

“They’re very special to me, words could not describe my gratefulness,” Norchi said. "I will always be there for them. That’s the best thing I could say. I’m lucky to have seven angels. One is my wife.”