Retired Firefighter Reunites With Team Who Saved His Life

Tommy Norchi collapsed just seconds after delivering a passionate speech about dam safety at a Suffolk County government meeting in January, his heart suddenly stopping as stunned onlookers watched him turn gray.

What happened next shows why learning CPR matters. Carol Cherwinski, a recently retired cardiology nurse who happened to be in the room, immediately recognized the signs. She rushed to his side along with several others as Norchi's eyes rolled back.

"He was gray, eyes rolling back, completely unresponsive," Cherwinski told reporters. "I remember thinking 'I guess my job isn't over yet.'"

The group sprang into coordinated action. Mike Martino and Brian Monahan grabbed an AED and called 911. Tom Gulbransen, a fire department lieutenant running the meeting, joined Cherwinski in performing chest compressions. Brian Mahon and Shawn Viniotis assisted with the defibrillation.

The team worked together seamlessly. By the time paramedics arrived, they had restored enough oxygen flow to give Norchi a fighting chance. When word spread that he was talking in the ambulance, the entire room erupted in relief.

Norchi spent just two days in the hospital. "I feel like nothing happened," the grandfather said with a smile, though he knows how lucky he is. Most cardiac arrest victims don't survive, even with CPR.

On June 1, the Hauppauge resident returned to the same building where he nearly died. This time, he came to hug his rescuers and share an important message during National CPR and AED Awareness Week.

"There's a lot of times that they perform CPR, and it doesn't come out with a positive effect," Norchi explained. "In fact, more times than not, the person dies." His case shows what's possible when trained people act fast.

The first thing Norchi told Cherwinski when they reunited was simple. "You're my angel," he said. "Thank you for being there."

The Ripple Effect

The rescue created waves beyond saving one life. County officials now emphasize CPR training for staff, and Norchi himself became an advocate for first aid education. His story proves that bystanders with basic training can bridge the critical gap before professional help arrives.

The moment felt especially meaningful for Norchi, who saved his own aunt from choking at a family wedding years earlier. "Everybody was trying to do the Heimlich maneuver. I said 'Get out of my way,'" he recalled. He cleared her airway by hand, and the celebration continued.

Now he's back to fishing with his grandson Jack and living each day fully, a walking reminder that a few minutes of training can give someone decades more life.