Dr. Oz Helps Cops Save NJ Man’s Life At Newark Airport

NEWARK, NJ — Television celebrity “Dr. Oz” helped police save the life of a New Jersey man after he collapsed at Newark Airport on Monday night, authorities said.

Mehmet Oz, who rose to fame as a regular guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” happened to be passing through the airport at the time – a lucky break for everyone involved, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The incident unfolded at 11:07 p.m. in Terminal A, when Port Authority Officer Jeffrey Croissant was on patrol. Croissant saw a man fall to the floor in the baggage claim area.

Croissant rushed to the man’s side, finding that he wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse. After calling for backup, the officer started doing CPR, authorities said.

At the same time, Oz, who had just come off the same flight and was also at the luggage carousel, noticed what was happening and came over to give Croissant a hand.

Within minutes, backup arrived at the scene and Port Authority officers Michael Bock, Matthew Vecchione and Daniel Olbrich started oxygen, deploying a defibrillator on the man. After several more cycles of CPR, he started breathing on his own and was stabilized, authorities said.

Emergency responders transported the 60-year-old New Jersey resident to the intensive care unit at a nearby hospital, where he is undergoing further evaluation as of Tuesday.

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

Croissant said he didn't recognize a celebrity was standing at his side at first.

“Everyone wears masks,” the officer explained, adding that he thought “what better help to have than a cardiac surgeon” after recognizing Oz.

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