JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — New York State troopers shared on Sunday State Police and Troopers helped a woman safety travel to Cleveland for surgery during a winter storm on Friday.
The release said the 64-year-old woman left Rochester with her husband to travel to Cleveland Clinic for a heart transplant. The woman, at the time, was using a battery-powered heart pump. While traveling on State Route 5 in the town of Portland, the couple became stranded in the snow storm.
Before the situation got worse, the husband called a nurse at the Cleveland Clinic who was able to contact State Police and Troopers and locate the couple using a NYSP Utility Task Vehicle. Troopers then transported the woman to Portland Fire Department and next to Westfield Memorial Hospital.
Troopers then sent her to the Jamestown Airport in Chautauqua County where she was clear from the storm and soon flown to Cleveland Clinic.
"This is an incredible story of perseverance and coordination!," NYS Police wrote in a news release. "The actions of the Troopers, medical staff, and transportation teams highlight how critical teamwork and quick thinking can save lives, even in the face of severe weather conditions. It’s heartening to see such dedication to ensuring a patient received a life-saving heart transplant despite the challenges posed by the snowstorm."
From Thanksgiving to Dec. 1, Troopers helped 110 disabled vehicles in the southern areas of Western New York along the I-90 corridor from Erie County to the Pennsylvania state line, according to the NYSP report.
