Officer spotted lively 73-yr-old slumped out in a chair at picnic—his 7 minutes effort saved his life
CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation has always been an essential medical procedure to perform during emergencies. But it's often during unimaginable situations that people collapse due to cardiac arrest, and hence performing the medical deed becomes important. Here's the brave story of two officers in Suffolk County on September 3, who saved the life of a 73-year-old man who was dancing at a picnic.
73-year-old Lenny Muzzillo, who suffers from autism, has always been described as a "ladies' man" and was enjoying a beautiful day at Brookhaven Town Senior Picnic when he suddenly went into cardiac arrest, according to ABC7 News. But two officers quickly sprang into action, as they began to perform CPR on the elderly man for seven long minutes before the paramedics arrived. As per their bodycam footage, the two heroes who saved the man's life were Officer Sean Higgins and Deputy Sheriff Dylan Hever, who alternated doing the compressions that day, while Officer Travis Yacovone called for assistance. "Time was going slowly that day in that moment," Officer Sean Higgins said.
Following the successful CPR, the officers were able to save Lenny's life. Muzzillo had four blockages in his heart, three of them complete blockages; hence, he needed a quadruple bypass, and he spent 11 days in two different hospitals. The elderly man was later reunited with the officers for the first time after the emergency. Lenny's sister Diane Summerfold called the officers "angels on earth." "My heart just sank, and we all know CPR is two minutes and that's it, and apparently, for these guys, it was a miracle," Diane Summerfold said. Officer Travis Yacovone emphasized the importance of performing CPR to keep blood flow and said, "It just goes to show you that if you keep that blood flowing, you buy enough time for the ambulance to get there."
The officers were grateful for saving a person's life, and for them, the look on Diane's face after they were able to revive her brother meant everything. Lenny, all smiles after reuniting with the officers, said, "I'm glad I'm still here." In a study authored by Myke S. Gijn, Dionne Frijns, Esther M. M. Glind, Barbara C. Munster, and Marije E. Hamaker for Age and Aging in 2014, found that among individuals aged 70 and above, approximately 38.6% achieved a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Survival rates decreased with age: 18.7% for those aged 70–79, 15.4% for those aged 80–89, and 11.6% for those 90 and older. The study concluded that even among older adults, timely CPR can significantly improve survival chances, especially when followed by quality post-resuscitation care, though functional recovery and long-term quality of life after discharge remain less frequently reported.