OLD BRIDGE-On Saturday, September 14, 2019, while walking the campaign trail to become the next Mayor of Old Bridge, Councilman David Merwin was distributing his campaign literature to the residents of Cheesequake Village. As he knocked on a door on Louisiana Drive and received no answer, he noticed a significant amount of mail protruding form the mailbox. Immediately suspicious to a possible emergency, he spoke to a nearby neighbor who stated that the resident had not been seen for a couple of days. Candidate Merwin began to investigate and walked around the side of the house where he observed a body lying on the floor face down through one of the windows.
He immediately alerted the authorities by calling 911 and informed the dispatcher that there was a body on the floor, possibly deceased. He then went to the rear of the residence and started banging on the sliding glass door. He observed a slight movement and a faint cry for help from the woman on the floor. Pausing to update the authorities, and knowing that time was critical, and that the woman needed immediate help, he ran around the side of the residence and kicked in the front door.
Upon entry, he found the female resident conscious and able to speak. He then asked the woman how long she had been on the floor and she responded – “ten days”. Mr. Merwin, from his training with the Laurence Harbor First Aid Squad, found she was breathing ok and performed a head to toe assessment, determining that she needed to be transported to the hospital. Old Bridge Township Emergency Medical Services (OBTEMS) arrived and they took over care of the patient until the arrival of RWJ paramedics who administered advanced medical care. It was subsequently determined from the resident’s cell phone that she had probably been lying on the floor for five days.
Councilman Merwin has served on the Laurence Harbor First Aid Squad since 1972 and ironically, his very first call was to Cheesequake Village during that summer! Thanks to the prompt responsive action by our hometown leader, who has answered over 8,000 emergency calls and continues to serve four nights a week, the life of this resident of Cheesequake Village has been saved, adding to his outstanding record.