Shortly after 7:30pm earlier this year, Roberta Cartwright was on the phone with her neighbor, 82-year-old Carl Schwab. She was in the middle of asking him if he and his wife, Susan, would like some of the dinner she had just made when she heard Carl drop the phone. Within moments Roberta heard Susan calling for help over the phone line that was still open.
Roberta immediately called to her husband, Peter Cartwright, that Carl needed help. Peter jumped in his car and drove to the Schwab’s residence at the end of the street. Meanwhile, Susan, seeing her husband had gone unconscious and dropped the phone, called 9-1-1.
When Peter arrived and entered the Schwab residence, he found Carl unconscious, not breathing and with no pulse. Peter got Carl out of the chair he was slumped in, placed him on the floor, and began CPR.
Within four minutes of being dispatched, Ptl. Anthony Chadwick arrived at the Schwab residence and ran in with his first aid bag, which included an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). By the time Ptl. Chadwick had reached the patient to continue life-saving measures, Ptl. Mark Storch arrived as backup, and the Brick Township Police EMTs were close behind. Those EMTs included Anthony Botts, Kyle Matthews, and Paul Witham.
Police and EMTs fell back on their training and applied life-saving measures to Carl Schwab for upwards of 20 minutes, ultimately regaining a pulse, and getting him stable enough to be transported to Ocean Medical Center.
Carl Schwab received treatment for over a month, which included a pacemaker/defibrillator implant, and weeks of rehabilitation. Carl was back home by the middle of February.
On March 15th, the Cartwrights, the Schwabs, Officers Chadwick and Storch, and EMTs Botts, and Witham, reunited at the Schwab’s residence to celebrate Mr. Schwab’s recovery and a job well done by the officers, EMTs, and the Cartwrights.
“These guys are amazing, and I want to thank them all for saving my husband’s life, Susan Schwab said. “You all are wonderful, and my neighbors are wonderful.”
Beautiful!!!
This is very special thing and everyone should learn cpr. Because you will never know what happens around you.
Our cops and EMTs are amazing dedicated professionals. And they’re good at what they do and their fast. And they’re professionally trained for just about every situation.
Thanx, guys. You ROCK !!
I am proud of the quick thinking way your husband ran over and how the first responders were so skilled – Truly you did the ultimate – saving a man’s life – i am also very touched that you were being very neighborly and offering them dinner. We need more of your kind of neighbors!
Wow!! That’s a great neighbor!! And kudos to our police men and emts for a job well done!!!
Wow! Thanks 4 the inspirational story- always good to hear nice news!