An off-duty emergency medical technician and several New York Knicks fans climbed a glass structure above the World Trade Center subway station to save a man suffering from a suspected drug overdose during Thursday’s championship parade in Lower Manhattan, defying police orders as the victim remained unconscious in his own vomit.

Heroes Scale Structure As First Responders Watch

Peter Shrieve-Don, a camera operator at the massive ticker tape parade, witnessed the man collapse on the elevated structure and made the decision to climb up when he saw no immediate response from authorities below. When officers told him to stop climbing, Shrieve-Don refused, telling bystanders the man would die if he followed orders. “Damn, we’re really following the rules out here,” he said before scaling the structure to reach the unconscious individual, whose head was slumped backward in a dangerous position.

Simone Kelly, an EMT stationed with the South Orange Rescue Squad in New Jersey, fought through the massive crowd and climbed onto the platform. She immediately took control of the emergency situation, identifying herself as medical personnel to the gathered fans who had also climbed up to assist. Kelly administered Narcan nasal spray to the unresponsive man and performed sternum rubs while thousands of parade attendees watched from below.

Victim Regains Consciousness After Life-Saving Intervention

The man regained consciousness following the Narcan dose and attempted to embrace and kiss Kelly multiple times as she questioned him about what substances he had consumed. Several other fans who had scaled the structure helped carry the now-conscious man down to waiting Fire Department of New York paramedics. Emergency personnel strapped him to a stretcher and transported him from the scene. His current medical condition remains unknown, and the FDNY has not yet released additional information about the incident.

Rescuer Seeks Medical School Admission After Viral Fame

Shrieve-Don praised Kelly as a hero following the rescue, emphasizing the importance of taking action when witnessing an emergency. “Sometimes, if you see something, DO something,” he wrote in social media posts describing the incident. “I’m glad there were people who knew what they were doing (not me).” Kelly posted multiple video angles of the dramatic rescue to her Instagram profile and hopes the viral attention will boost her medical school applications. “Instagram engagement is great but who can get my name to medical school admission committees,” she wrote after footage of the rescue spread across social media platforms.