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Roy Varndell had never met the 12-year-old boy and was unaware
of the youngster's reputation as a practical joker. So when Varndell
saw that the child was in apparent distress, he immediately rushed
to provide assistance.
In doing so, he probably saved the boy's life.
It was a Thursday evening in April 2004. Varndell, a senior correction
officer at Mid-State Correctional Facility for 22 years, and wife
Sue Ashton, were visiting friends. The hostess, Deborah Bowman,
was in conversation with her son, Matthew, who was asking if his
friend, Max, could stay at the home overnight. Suddenly, young
Max began ringing the doorbell, kicking the door and muttering
what sounded to Varndell like, "Choking." The officer
sprung into action.
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Roy
Varndell
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"I got up and ran to the door," Varndell, 45,
said. "By the time I got to the kid, he was already
turning blue in the face. Right away, I performed the Heimlich
maneuver . On the third thrust, a piece of candy - a Life
Saver, actually - came out.
"The amazing thing was, I had just taken a class on
how to respond to these kinds of situations," he continued.
"I never would have guessed I'd be using what I learned
so soon. While it was happening, I was more or less reacting.
But I was very much aware of the difference in size. I weigh
255 pounds, and Max was only 12, so I wanted to make sure
I didn't hurt his ribs. Fortunately, once the candy came
out, he was fine. He was obviously shaken up, but otherwise,
he was okay."
Deborah Bowman was so moved by the episode that she wrote
a letter to a local newspaper describing what transpired.
In the letter, which was published, she noted that she initially
thought her son's friend was joking, "as
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he always does." The letter also stated, "If it was not
for Roy's quick response, I truly believe Max would not be here
… I feel safer and more at ease knowing Roy is around to help
a neighbor in need without hesitation."
Most of Varndell's co-workers -- including Robert Brumbaugh,
chief of custody at Mid-State - learned about the incident from
the item in the newspaper. Within two weeks, Brumbaugh had written
a letter of commendation. "Your actions are a clear indicator
of the pride and professionalism with which you carry yourself,"
Brumbaugh wrote. "It is comforting to know that the New Jersey
Department of Corrections has staff members like you who don't
stop caring about the welfare of others when they leave the job
at the end of the day."
Although he was grateful for the accolades, Varndell admitted
that the glare of the spotlight made him uncomfortable.
"I certainly don't feel like a hero," said Varndell,
who has five children as well as five grandchildren. "I'm
just a guy who happened to be in the right place at the right
time. If a member of my family was in the same situation, I would
hope that someone would be willing to step up and do the same
thing."
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