South Congaree, S.C. (Paul Kirby) – Saturday started like most do at the home of Bob and Dr. Jennifer Porter, DC. There were many things for the husband and wife to do around the house. Afterward, perhaps they’d have a little time to relax. What the couple didn’t expect that day was that they’d have an opportunity to save a man’s life!
Be it happenstance or God’s will, a man’s girlfriend pulled into the Porter’s driveway in a panic. She had randomly selected the home of two people well trained in CPR. That’s what probably saved her boyfriend's life. Dr. Jennifer Porter, DC owns Premier One Spinal Care in Red Bank and her husband Bob, a developer, had taken CPR during a water rescue course he’d attended.
Bob Porter said he had no idea why the lady chose their drive off Ramblin Road in South Congaree to pull into and begin screaming for help. When she did, Bob just ran toward the car where it became clear what she was screaming, “My boyfriend is dead,” he heard her scream as she stood near the car.
When Bob got to the car, there was a large man in it that was quickly turning blue. Bob checked for a pulse and any sign of breathing. He found neither! He knew from the water rescue training course, CPR needed to be started right away.
Bob quickly took control and pulled the large man out of the car while Jennifer came running. She had already dialed 911 and was talking to dispatchers, letting them know what was going on. Seeing her husband had started CPR on the man, she began to help him too.
Dr. Jennifer Porter, DC and her staff had just updated their office safety plan. This included refreshing their CPR training and the use of the Automatic External Defibrillator they kept there. Since that wasn’t at home, helping her husband with the CPR was the man’s best chance to pull through.
Together, the couple performed CPR on the man. Each time they’d stop to check the his pulse and respirations, Bob found no breathing but a faint pulse. The pulse would begin to fade away without the chest compressions of CPR. Together, Bob and Jennifer started CPR again. Steve Cromer, a neighbor of the Porter’s, also came and helped until an ambulance arrived.
They first responders quickly recognized the signs and symptoms of an overdose and gave the man a dose of Narcan. That’s a drug that’s often used to reverse the effects of narcotics. As the professional rescuers took over, it gave Jennifer the opportunity to talk with the man's girlfriend one on one. She admitted to Jennifer that her boyfriend had been drinking and taking a mixture of drugs most of the day.
A Lexington County EMS crew quickly loaded the man into their truck and whisked him off to the hospital. By then, both Porters were physically and emotionally drained. This wasn’t what they planned to do with their Saturday!
Bob said when he heard the screams, he knew something was terribly wrong. In this day and time, people often run for cover when something like this happens. For Jennifer and Bob, running toward the car was just an instinct, the right thing to do. Bob said Sunday that he knew by the sound of the scream, someone needed help desperately.
Was it luck or a God thing the girlfriend picked the Porter’s driveway to pull into? Make your own decision regarding that. The Porters were just happy to be at the right place and at the right time.
Left: Dr. Jennifer Porter, DC & Right: Bob Porter
