FDNY Saves Triathlon Man

Published: August 04, 2014

FDNY Members Save Man Participating in the New York City Triathlon

Marine 1 Bravo

FDNY Lt. Ted Carstensen, Firefighters Chris Fitzsimmons and Dean Tartaro, and Rescue Paramedics Niall O’Shaughnessy and Steven Kleinberg aboard Marine 1 Bravo saved the life of a man participating in the New York City Triathlon on August 3, reviving him just minutes after he went into cardiac arrest in the Hudson River.

“It was a complete team effort from start to finish,” Lt. Carstensen said. “Everything went like clockwork.”

The fire boat, which is a medical emergency boat, was stationed at the 300 to 400 meter mark, just outside the lane of swimmers.

Just after 8 a.m., lifeguards on jet skis, kayaks and surfboards, who were mixed in with the swimmers, hurried over to an athlete in distress. They then began waving to the FDNY members, who were about 75 yards away.

“Right away we knew to get ready, this is serious,” Paramedic O’Shaughnessy said.

Several triathletes helped the lifeguard move the man onto a rescue float, as Firefighter Fitzsimmons maneuvered the fire boat closer. The boat has a drop bow, which provides a ramp that extends straight into the water, allowing for easy access to the victim.

Once onboard, the paramedics quickly assessed that the man did not have a pulse and was not breathing.

As Firefighter Fitzsimmons started moving the boat to shore, the paramedics asked Lt. Carstensen and Firefighter Tartaro to start CPR as they prepared for further treatment.

Paramedics O’Shaughnessy and Kleinberg put the victim, who was in his 50s, on a monitor, intubated him, and shocked him with a defibrillator.

By the time the group reached the awaiting ambulance at West 79th Street, the man’s heartbeat was restored and he was breathing on his own – about 10 minutes after he went into cardiac arrest.

“It’s extremely lucky that we were close by,” Lt. Carstensen said. “Time is critical in cardiac cases.”
Paramedic O’Shaughnessy added, “All we wanted is for him to be able to walk out of the hospital, and it looks like he will.”