RVAC cited by Suffolk EMS council for saving a man’s life last month

Ralph Udell doesn’t have much to say about the morning he nearly died lying on East Main Street.

“I don’t remember a thing. One second I was crossing the street and the next thing, I woke up in the hospital,” said Udell, 69.

He said he owes his life to the paramedics who treated him. Udell was crossing the street in front of his Millbrook Apartments complex to catch his ride to the Riverhead Senior Center when he collapsed Oct 8. A bus driver called 911 and a Stony Brook University First Responder unit arrived soon after, followed by the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps. They found Udell in cardiac arrest.

A defibrillator was administered to get his heart beating again, and fluids were delivered by a paramedic who drilled into one of Udell’s bones to feed an intravenous line into his bone marrow, necessary when a patient’s veins aren’t easily accessed. Udell was revived and spent two weeks in the hospital recovering.

“He was dead,” said EMT Ray Bonner. “It all depends on timing. We were there very quickly and we got the interventions done very quickly, so everything worked out well.”

Udell said he has no doubt the medics’ quick response saved his life.

“I’m very glad they were there, and they must have did a great job ’cause I’m still here, ya know?” he said. “Otherwise I’d be dead on the side of the road somewheres.”

The RVAC team that saved Udell’s life received a prehospital save award from the Suffolk Regional EMS Council on Nov. 12.

Photo caption, top: Ralph Udell of Riverhead, center, with members of the EMS team that saved his life, from left: RVAC Chief Joseph Oliver, Ray Bonner, Randy Peralta, Thomas Cappiello and Diane Birkel . 

Not pictured: Ira Magulies.  RiverheadLOCAL photo by Micah Danney

Photo caption, below: Thomas Capiello, Ira Magulies and Joseph Oliver accepted Suffolk REMSCO’s Pre-Hospital Save Award on behalf of RVAC in Yaphank on Nov. 12. Courtesy photo.