On Sept. 6, John Hedmeck was enjoying a night out at Riverwalck in Parryville when suddenly, everything went black. When he awoke, the patrons around him were applauding.

Amid the confusion, it took some time to realize what had happened. Hedmeck, 59, of Walnutport, had fallen unconscious. He awoke after another diner had performed CPR. The applause was for his lifesaving efforts.

Hedmeck says that without his rescuer, an off-duty police officer, he likely wouldn’t be here today. Patrolman First Class Gerald Palermo is a seven-year veteran of the Butler Township Police Department, located near Hazleton.

“If this would have happened to me at home, I would have been in the obituaries,” Hedmeck said.

Hedmeck had to piece together the details of what happened on Sept. 6. He was out at Riverwalck in Parryville with a friend. He didn’t notice anything amiss, but his companion later told him that he started swaying back and forth before he lost consciousness.

After he woke up, he was unsure why there were EMTs loading him into an ambulance. He didn’t understand why they wanted him to go to the hospital.

Later, he would get some idea. While he still doesn’t know exactly why he fell unconscious, he said his blood pressure was extremely high that night at the hospital.

He stayed at St. Luke’s Lehighton Campus the next three days as doctors performed tests, and treated him for six broken ribs he sustained during the CPR.

Since then, he’s been on medication for blood pressure, and his ribs are feeling better.

He immediately tried to track down the person who had given him CPR. He learned from the staff at Riverwalck. Eventually he got in touch with Palermo’s department. They invited him to attend a ceremony where Palmero was being honored with a lifesaving award.

“I said, ‘I gotta shake that man’s hand,’?” Hedmeck said.

Last week, Hedmeck got to thank his rescuer in person. Palermo’s boss, Butler Township Police Chief William J. Feissner, said that Palermo gave Hedmeck a second chance.

“This illustrates how important police are in our communities, whether or not they are working - they are trained and ready to respond to emergencies no matter where they occur,” Feissner said.

When he met Palermo again, Hedmeck joked that he was the man who broke six of his ribs - and thanked him for doing so.

The incident has given him a new appreciation for every day. Coming so close to having his life end has made him realize how important it is.

“Time is so precious,” he said.