From the Brick Times - Feb 28, 2008 by Eric San Juan
Brick Business Owner's Life Saved - By A Competitor
Article:
Brick Business Owner's Life Saved - By A Competitor
By Eric San Juan
Saving someone's life while on a business trip? That's a story worth telling at the office. Discovering that someone is a major competitor? That's a twist worthy of Hollywood.
A Brick resident since 1949 and longtime business owner here, it's safe to say that Don Bertrand did not expect to have his life saved when he went on a business cruise recently.
But even more unexpected was that he was saved by one of his business competitors.
Bertrand has a long history in Brick Township. He's done his fair share of giving back to the community. He's also operated businesses right here in town. Bertrand founded Brick Heating and Cooling. A few years ago, he turned the business over to family to pursue other business interests, and remains active in the business community.
Recently, he and others from Brick Heating and Cooling were invited on a boating and snorkeling trip sponsored by one of their distributors. Such trips are a business tradition, rewards for being good customers. A slew of other New Jersey heating and cooling businesses were along for the ride. Boats, swimming, good times. What more could you want?
That's when he had his fateful encounter with Al Rogulski, owner of Care Temp Heating and Air Conditioning in Toms River, one of Bertrand's local competifascinated tors.
Though Rogulski had enjoyed scuba diving for years, this time he didn't participate.
"I decided not to go snorkeling. The water was kind of rough," he said. It turns out his decision was a good one. "Within 15 minutes, there were people screaming. Someone was floating, bumping up against the boat."
That someone was Bertrand. Things in the water had gotten difficult.
"I've snorkeled before, years ago. I knew how," Bertrand said. "I decided to go out. I didn't think I'd have any trouble. It started to get rough and windy. I started back. I was swimming against the tide. I got about eight or 10 feet from the catamaran. My face went down in the water and I went out."
They pulled him out of the water. He was unconscious. He wasn't breathing.
And no one on the boat knew how to do CPR.
Rogulski isn't trained in it, either, but he said it didn't look as if the boat's staff was doing it correctly, so he took over and did the best he could.
"(Bertrand) had salt in his nose, water coming out of his nose. I knew that if didn't intervene that he was going to die," Rogulski said. So he went to work. He said it took about 15 minutes to revive Bertrand. But then, finally, he stirred and out came the water. "He must have vomited a half-gallon of water."
Those watching, including Bertrand's wife, were overjoyed. He had been saved.
Rogulski said being in such a situation was nothing short of draining. After shakily smoking a cigarette, the experience started to hit him.
"I was overwhelmed," Rogulski said. "I've never performed CPR before. Just something took over. After the fact, it was overwhelming."
Overwhelming and the man he saved had founded one of the businesses his own business competes against. Care Temp and Brick Heating and Cooling aim to get the same clients in the same market.
But Rogulski said the fact that he saved a competitor doesn't matter. What matters is that Bertrand is alive today. "I just felt like I had to do what I had to do," he said.
And for his part, Betrand is thankful. After his harrowing incident, he was ready for some rest.
"I recovered in about three days after the incident," Bertrand said. "I'm fine now."
Just goes to show that business is just business, and people are people.
<end of article>
Brick Business Owner's Life Saved - By A Competitor
Article:
Brick Business Owner's Life Saved - By A Competitor
By Eric San Juan
Saving someone's life while on a business trip? That's a story worth telling at the office. Discovering that someone is a major competitor? That's a twist worthy of Hollywood.
A Brick resident since 1949 and longtime business owner here, it's safe to say that Don Bertrand did not expect to have his life saved when he went on a business cruise recently.
But even more unexpected was that he was saved by one of his business competitors.
Bertrand has a long history in Brick Township. He's done his fair share of giving back to the community. He's also operated businesses right here in town. Bertrand founded Brick Heating and Cooling. A few years ago, he turned the business over to family to pursue other business interests, and remains active in the business community.
Recently, he and others from Brick Heating and Cooling were invited on a boating and snorkeling trip sponsored by one of their distributors. Such trips are a business tradition, rewards for being good customers. A slew of other New Jersey heating and cooling businesses were along for the ride. Boats, swimming, good times. What more could you want?
That's when he had his fateful encounter with Al Rogulski, owner of Care Temp Heating and Air Conditioning in Toms River, one of Bertrand's local competifascinated tors.
Though Rogulski had enjoyed scuba diving for years, this time he didn't participate.
"I decided not to go snorkeling. The water was kind of rough," he said. It turns out his decision was a good one. "Within 15 minutes, there were people screaming. Someone was floating, bumping up against the boat."
That someone was Bertrand. Things in the water had gotten difficult.
"I've snorkeled before, years ago. I knew how," Bertrand said. "I decided to go out. I didn't think I'd have any trouble. It started to get rough and windy. I started back. I was swimming against the tide. I got about eight or 10 feet from the catamaran. My face went down in the water and I went out."
They pulled him out of the water. He was unconscious. He wasn't breathing.
And no one on the boat knew how to do CPR.
Rogulski isn't trained in it, either, but he said it didn't look as if the boat's staff was doing it correctly, so he took over and did the best he could.
"(Bertrand) had salt in his nose, water coming out of his nose. I knew that if didn't intervene that he was going to die," Rogulski said. So he went to work. He said it took about 15 minutes to revive Bertrand. But then, finally, he stirred and out came the water. "He must have vomited a half-gallon of water."
Those watching, including Bertrand's wife, were overjoyed. He had been saved.
Rogulski said being in such a situation was nothing short of draining. After shakily smoking a cigarette, the experience started to hit him.
"I was overwhelmed," Rogulski said. "I've never performed CPR before. Just something took over. After the fact, it was overwhelming."
Overwhelming and the man he saved had founded one of the businesses his own business competes against. Care Temp and Brick Heating and Cooling aim to get the same clients in the same market.
But Rogulski said the fact that he saved a competitor doesn't matter. What matters is that Bertrand is alive today. "I just felt like I had to do what I had to do," he said.
And for his part, Betrand is thankful. After his harrowing incident, he was ready for some rest.
"I recovered in about three days after the incident," Bertrand said. "I'm fine now."
Just goes to show that business is just business, and people are people.
<end of article>
