By CASSANDRA SHOFAR

Staff Writer

MONTVILLE TWP. — A Montville Township police officer was commended Tuesday night for saving a 21-year-old man by distributing a lifesaving electric shock to his chest.

Patrol officer Daniel Hazek was on his normal rounds on Saturday, Feb. 17, and not far from him, everyone at the Bavaro residence in Montville Township was getting ready to go to a wedding.

However, after some time, Roberta and Nick Bavaro noticed Nathan, Roberta’s son and Nick’s stepson, was taking an unusually long time in the shower, said Sgt. Matthew Neil during the township’s regular trustee meeting Tuesday where Hazek received a plaque in recognition of his actions.

“After several attempts to raise Nate’s attention, by both Mr. Bavaro and Nate’s younger brother Daniel, Mr. Bavaro pushed in the door to the bathroom to find his 21-year-old son laying face down on the floor, unconscious and in full cardiac arrest,” Neil said. “Mrs. Bavaro quickly initiated what is known in the emergency field as the ‘critical chain of survival’ by calling 911.”

Neil said the Bavaros continued CPR efforts until Hazek, the first responder, arrived within minutes. Fortunately, he happened to have the police department’s only automated external defibrillator — a portable automatic device used to restore normal heart rhythm to patients in cardiac arrest — in his patrol car at the time, Neil said.

The device, applied to the outside of Nathan Bavaro’s body, automatically analyzed his heart rhythm and then advised Hazek whether a shock was needed to restore a normal heartbeat. It was, Neil said.

Once the shock was delivered, Hazek assisted Roberta Bavaro with CPR until Nathan finally gasped for air and began breathing on his own.

“He was really wonderful,” Nick Bavaro said of Hazek. “From the minute he showed up, he was calm, professional. … At that point I thought it was too late, but he (still) did what he did.”

Nick said the whole event was a true miracle, especially how everything fell into place.

“We just happened to be home at the time and he (Hazek) happened to have the only AED in Montville,” Nick said.

Hazek added: “(Nathan’s) rhythm was gone and it (the AED) just got that rhythm going again. The AED did exactly what it was suppose to do. It may not work in every situation, but it worked there.”

Shortly after Nathan started breathing again, paramedics of the Medina Life Support Team arrived and took over patient care, Neil said.

“Nate was quickly rushed to the hospital to undergo what proved to be and still is months of recovery and rehabilitation efforts,” he said.

Hazek later said Nathan had a heart condition that caused the ventricular fibrillation and resulting cardiac arrest.

Neil added: “Incidentally, the cardiac reading from the AED that Officer Hazek used was downloaded, printed and used by the doctors at the hospital to both treat and evaluate Nathan’s condition in an effort to prevent this type of cardiac event from happening again.”

After receiving his Life Saving Award, Hazek thanked the department and said he was truly grateful for the plaque but wishes there had been another to give away to Roberta Bavaro, whose unwavering determination to keep her son alive helped her not give up that day.

“I witnessed a true mother’s love … she would not let him go,” Hazek said, adding Roberta worked on Nathan for three to five minutes before he arrived at the house and had refused to give up.

He added: “It was literally miraculous, not on my part but with everything coming together.”

Hazek said he also hopes to see something far greater come out of his recognition than just a plaque.

“I want to see AEDs distributed to every agency,” Hazek said, adding particularly with first responders. “(AEDs) have to be handy and ready to use in the patrol cars (of first responders).”

Hazek said AEDs cost roughly $1,800 a piece, so they aren’t a financial burden and the cost can’t compare to saving a life.

“What is it worth? It’s worth this right here,” Hazek said, gesturing to Nathan, who, because he was unconscious at the time of his near-death experience, doesn’t remember anything.

“I’m very glad to see you tonight,” Hazek said with emotion to Nathan. “I really am — very glad to see you tonight.”

Neil said between the 10 to 15 times Montville police have had to use the AED, they have restarted the hearts of two patients. Nathan was the only patient to survive his entire cardiac ordeal.

Neil added his department, along with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, are the only law enforcement agencies out of 18 in Medina County that have an AED available while on patrol.

During the regular trustees meeting, Chief Thomas Acklin requested the purchase of two more AEDs, which will allow all patrol vehicles to carry an AED while they are out on the roads, he said.

“I think it’s important to note that if we didn’t have the AED that day, Nathan wouldn’t be here right now,” he said after the meeting.

The trustees voted to approve the purchase of two more AED devices, Acklin said Wednesday.

Shofar may be reached at 330-721-4044 or cshofar@ohio.net.