East Meadow Responders Save Man's Life

Emergency responders saved the life of a man who went into cardiac arrest on Sunday while working out in the gym of the in East Meadow, officials say.

According to Chief Carl Pugliese, the call came in just before 10 a.m.

"We were alerted that there was an unresponsive man at the Aquatic Center gym," Pugliese said. "Probably about half way there, the dispatcher called me back and said that the lifeguard said that they were in the process of doing CPR."

Lifeguards from the facility used an external defibrillator and began resuscitation efforts until the East Meadow Fire Department arrived. Once on scene, the rescue crew, led by Lt. Giovanni Bautista, took over and they were able to restart the man's heart and breathing.

"By the time they got him to an ambulance, the gentleman regained his heartbeat," Pugliese said. "He was actually breathing on his own with oxygen."

The 82-year-old man, who was not identified, was taken via Ambulance to He has since been moved to the Cardiac Care Unit. He is expected to remain in the hospital for "a week or two," according to Pugliese, but doctors expect the man to make a full recovery.

The doctor congratulated the rescue team for their quick response and expedient efforts.

"He thinks that the quick intervention actually saved the gentleman’s life," Pugliese said.

This is a breaking news story. Patch will provide more information as it is made available.