After finishing a half-marathon through the streets of New York Sunday, a Portland doctor immediately found himself in another race — to save a fellow runner’s life.
Dr. Dean Laochamroonvorapongse crossed the finish line shortly after 9:30 am at Water and Wall streets near Battery Park when he looked back and saw another runner had collapsed.
A woman had started CPR, but the doctor could tell that she needed help. He immediately forgot about how tired he was and sprang into action.
“I ran up and said, ‘I’m a doctor, does anyone need help?’” the medic recalled. “He was not breathing,
Laochamroonvorapongse said an EMT arrived with oxygen at about the same time he did.
“I put a mask to his face,” the doctor said. “I lifted his face into the mask so he could get air more efficiently into his lungs. They came with defibrillator and did an all-clear. With one more cycle of CPR he started breathing lightly.”
The victim, 43, was taken to New York Downtown Hospital, where he was in stable condition, authorities said.
Even though the doctor had never performed such a procedure outside a hospital, he said his training kicked in.
“You don’t have the equipment you’re used to,” the 32-year-old pediatric anesthesiologist said. “I’m glad I could help save his life.”
“I walked out of the medical tent, and a woman asked if I needed medical attention myself and I said no,” Laochamroonvorapongse said.
“I kept walking and thought about how life is short and you never know when your time is up. Hopefully this gentleman will live to run again another day.”
Olympian Mo Farrah, 30, also fell at the end of the race after finishing second.
“Mo was lightheaded at the finish line and was attended to by our medical team,” said New York Road Runners spokesman Chris Weiller. “He was taken to our medical tent for evaluation and released and then met with the press at the media center where he said he was fine.”
The 13-mile race began at 7:30 a.m., with a loop through Central Park. The course goes through Times Square and down the West Side Highway to Battery Park.
Organizers estimated that 20,000 runners participated.
Two-time New York City Marathon winner Geoffrey Mutai, a Kenyan, won the men’s competition in 1 hour, 50 seconds. Kenyan Sally Kipyego set a record while winning the women’s race in 1 hour, 8 minutes and 30 seconds. A New Yorker, Buzunesh Deba, of the Bronx, came in second among the women.
The top prize was $20,000.