Off-duty trooper administers CPR, tries to save man in Hobart

An off-duty Indiana state trooper who spotted a man lying in the road administered CPR and tried to save the man’s life Saturday afternoon in Hobart.

About 2:30 p.m., Trooper Brandon Bohling was off duty and driving his semi-marked police car south on Main Street near East 2nd Street when he saw the man surrounded by a few people, according to a statement from Indiana State Police. He then got out of his car to render first aid.

The 63-year-old man was unresponsive and someone told Bohling the man was walking before he collapsed in the road, police said. Bohling told an onlooker to call 911, then he and a good Samaritan rolled the man onto his back.

The good Samaritan started chest compressions while Bohling ran back to his car to grab his Automated External Defibrillator, police said. But when the pads were connected to the man, the AED performed an evaluation and advised that the man was not shockable.

Bohling and the good Samaritan took turns doing CPR when an onlooker said the man may have been choking, police said. He was given the Heimlich maneuver, but no items were dislodged, so CPR was resumed. The man’s face was blue, but the AED advised again he was not shockable.

A Hobart police officer then arrived at the scene and took over CPR until paramedics arrived, police said. The man was taken to St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, where he was pronounced, police said. He lived in Hobart.