Shoppers and tourists darted out of the way Tuesday afternoon as two bike cops pedaled down a crowded Michigan Avenue sidewalk — lights flashing, air horns shrieking — to reach a man who had collapsed in the street.
Moments earlier, a frantic woman ran up to officers Sergio Valdez and Michael Lawrence — who were writing a parking ticket — and implored them to come quickly.
A block away, in the crosswalk blocking traffic at Michigan and Walton, a group of about 20 people gathered around the lifeless body of a man in his 70s.
The officers checked for a pulse but felt nothing.
Lawrence began chest compressions. Valdez managed traffic.
Strangers tried to comfort the man’s distraught wife.
A doctor — who was stuck in nearby traffic — got out of her car and stabilized the man’s head.
“He was discolored. Very pale,” said Valdez, 36.
After about three minutes, the man vomited and began to breathe. He began coughing.
“I can honestly say I was getting pretty worried,” Lawrence said.
Paramedics arrived and took the man to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
“He has not regained consciousness that we know of yet,” said Lawrence, 38. “We did a follow-up and he was in stable condition last night.”
The two officers recalled the emergency situation Wednesday afternoon before reporters assembled near Millennium Park.
“I’m glad the training was able to take over,” Lawrence said of administering CPR. “I hope he makes a full recovery.
