Off-Duty Firefighter, Nurse Jump Into Action During Dutchess County Fair Emergency

Medical Emergency Reported at the Dutchess County Fair

Thousands of people made their way to Rhinebeck, New York, last week for the 180th Dutchess County Fair.

From Tuesday August 25th through Sunday August 30th, the Dutchess County Fairgrounds was swarmed with guest enjoying rides, food and family fun.

On Friday, August 28th, local first responders (off and on duty) rushed to a scary scene at the fair.

First Responders Rush to Help Unresponsive Fairgoer

In a press release from the Rhinebeck Fire Department they explain that a call came in on Friday afternoon of an "unresponsive individual inside Barn 30 at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds."

Dutchess County Fair EMS, with the help of local first responders on the scene, worked together providing "continuous resuscitative care, including CPR and use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)."

The statement explains:

Additional Rhinebeck Fire Department personnel assisted with the overall emergency response, and upon the arrival of Empress Emergency Medical Services, Paramedics Abby Buring and Nicole Ledoux joined the ongoing resuscitation and provided advanced life support care.

The patient was first transported to Northern Dutchess Hospital. Later, the patient was transported to  "a higher level of care at Vassar Brother Medical Center by helicopter.

Right Place, Right Time: Off Duty First Responders On the Scene of Fair Emergency

Talk about right place, right time.

The City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department reported that Erik Stroka, who is a local firefighter and EMT, and his girlfriend Skylar Jackson, who is an Albany Med Registered Nurse and former EMT, were showing their cows at the fair on Friday.

They were in Barn 30 when the emergency occurred. The City of Poughkeepsie Police Department writes:

 Both immediately rushed over to assist Fair EMS and began CPR in the barn. Along with DC Fair personnel and other bystanders, they provided life-saving measures.

They City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department adds "Thanks to everyone’s quick action, the patient was transported to the ER and later moved to Vassar Hospital with a successful outcome."

Read the full statement from the Rhinebeck Fire Department below: