BY LINCOLN ANDERSON | Christopher Street Patrol members recently aided a man they found unconscious in a sidewalk tree pit. And to hear the patrol’s resident leader tell it, they saved his life.
It was a Friday night a couple of weeks ago, and the dogged anticrime patrol was being led by local volunteer Diana Horton, 70. With her were four Guardian Angels — street handles K.C., Blueblood, Mellow and Moustache — ranging from the late teens to late 30s. A Village resident always leads the group, since locals know the neighborhood best.
It was around midnight, and the patrol, clad in their distinctive red jackets, had just taken a break in a room they use at 155 Christopher St.
They were taking a last swing down to the Christopher St. Pier — a stretch they hadn’t patrolled yet.
“It was a slow night and it was cold,” Horton said. “Normally, we go till 1 o’clock. We were deciding if we wanted to call it a night.
“We were crossing Bleecker at Christopher,” she recalled. “A man — his whole body was in the tree pit — from his knees to the top of his head. He was tall, thin. His head was at a very difficult angle, almost as if he’d been stuffed inside the wicket.”
The Angels checked his pulse. As one called 911, the man then started to have a seizure.
“Blueblood knew he was having a seizure,” Horton said. “He knew not to put him on his back but on his side.”
Springing into action, Mellow stood over the man protectively, while Moustache and K.C. kept gawkers at bay.
Emergency-trained firefighters from Squad 18 and Sixth Precinct police quickly responded. The police included Officer Vincent, who was training rookie Officers Nolasco and Dennis.
The cops, firefighters and Angels worked together seamlessly to help the unknown man, Horton said.
“This individual had 15 people working on him, all working together so smoothly,” she said. The man never regained consciousness before a New York-Presbyterian ambulance whisked him away.
On the other hand, that the stricken man had lain there awhile with no one else having helped him was disheartening, she said.
David Poster, president of the Christopher Street Patrol, praised Horton and the Angels for their quick response and helping ensure the man safely got medical attention.
A retired teacher, the Grove St. resident has been a Christopher Street Patrol member 22 years. It’s the group’s 25th year.
Asked why she got involved, she said, “I had two daughters. I wanted them to feel safe in their own neighborhood.”
As for whether the area is safer now, Horton said, “There’s no comparison.” Helping matters, some Christopher St. problem bars closed or moved. Yet, she said, a sad tradeoff is that many beloved local mom-and-pop shops have been closing, too.
