Man Reunited with Lifesaving Officers After Cardiac Arrest at Newark Airport

NEWARK, New Jersey — A passenger who suffered a cardiac arrest at Newark Liberty International Airport six months ago was reunited with the officers who saved his life. Herbert Villa, who had been preparing to board a flight to Seattle from Terminal A, was grateful for the quick actions of first responders during the critical moments of his medical emergency.

On that fateful day, Villa experienced a severe seizure without any prior warning signs. “I do not even remember Sunday; it’s my normal pack up the day before, get the laptop ready, drive to the airport, go to the United Club, and I wake up a week and a half later in the hospital,” he recounted.

Despite leading a healthy lifestyle with no history of smoking or drinking, Villa’s heart stopped twice during the incident. He was initially alerted by a United Airlines employee who noticed he was in distress. Port Authority officers quickly responded to the emergency after being alerted.

“So without hesitation, we got in and started doing CPR. He did regain consciousness for a little bit and then became faint, lost consciousness again,” said Port Authority Officer Bryan Cardona, who was one of the first responders to reach Villa.

Using a heart defibrillator, Cardona and his fellow officers worked diligently to stabilize Villa until emergency medical services arrived. Officer Anas Swailmyeen shared, “We’ve been trained in the academy, and we have our yearly in-service training. I was also previously stationed at the George Washington Bridge and had to perform CPR before.”

Officer Finn Ebersbach noted, “My first time using the AED, but it is pretty intuitive once you open it up; it gives you directions the entire time.”

Villa has since undergone triple bypass surgery and is now back at work, traveling for business as he did before his health scare. His wife, Carol Villa, rushed to the hospital upon learning of his emergency. “If I was standing up, my knees would have buckled because it was such a shock,” she said, reflecting on the traumatic experience.

The emotional reunion on Friday marked a significant moment for Villa, who emphasized the importance of expressing gratitude to those who saved him. “You have to follow up, you have to find them, you have to let them know that they saved your life. It’s not about me. It’s really about them,” he said, acknowledging the heroic efforts of the Port Authority officers.