Dr. Oz helps police perform CPR on man who collapsed at airport

By Larry Higgs
nj.com

NEWARK, N.J. — Port Authority police officers, who came to the aid of a man who passed out at Newark Liberty Airport, had assistance from a famous TV doctor who just got off the same flight.

The assist came from Dr. Mehmet Oz, who saw Port Authority Police Officer Jeffrey Croissant come to the aid of a 60-year-old New Jersey man who collapsed in the baggage claim area of Terminal B at 11:07 p.m. Monday, the Port Authority said Tuesday.

The victim “looked like a tree falling,” said Croissant, who rushed over, saw the man wasn’t breathing, checked and determined he had no pulse. He called for back-up and started to perform CPR, said Lenis Valens, a Port Authority spokeswoman.

It was then that his famous back-up came over from a nearby baggage carousel and helped Croissant perform CPR.

“What better help to have than a cardiac surgeon?” the officer said after he didn’t initially recognize Dr. Oz, who was wearing a mask.

Port Authority Officers Michael Bock, Matthew Vecchione and Daniel Olbrich arrived and administered oxygen and used a defibrillator on the man. After several more cycles of CPR, the man began breathing on his own and was stabilized.

The 60-year old New Jersey resident was transported to the intensive care unit of a hospital where he is undergoing further evaluation, Valens said.

Dr. Oz tweeted about the incident Tuesday.

“As a physician and a human being, it’s our responsibility to jump in when there’s a medical emergency,” he tweeted. “Another critical reminder of how important it is to take the time to learn how to do CPR and use a defibrillator.”

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