Westford Firefighter Among Those Saving Man From Cardiac Arrest at Patriots Game

FOXBOROUGH, MA — A man whose heart stopped beating prior to the start of Saturday’s New England Patriots game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium is alive thanks to some fast acting firefighters and paramedics.

Foxborough Town Manager Bill Keegan told the selectmen Tuesday night that the man, whose name was not released, had a medical emergency in the 200 level on the north side of the stadium. Two off-duty firefighters who were in the area performed CPR and two police officers assisted while waiting for paramedics to arrive. The firefighters were identified as Westford firefighter and former Townsend firefighter John Tuomi and Jim Crocker of the Groton Fire Department, according to Townsend Fire Chief Mark Boynton.

"Just before the opening kickoff, they noticed a man just a couple row ahead of them experiencing a medical emergency and his son asking him what was wrong? Without hesitation John and Jim jumped into action," Boynton wrote on his department's Facebook page.

The two worked on the man for about 10 minutes, using the scoreboard to keep track of time. When paramedics from the gameday detail arrived, they were able to use a defibrillator on the man before he was taken to Norwood Hospital, where he underwent a procedure to open the blockage in his heart.

Keegan said the man was released from the hospital earlier in the day and is doing much better.

"Based on the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest in itself, compounded by the conditions and location the likely outcome was one of a man that dies on Christmas eve while attending a football game with his son,: Boynton said. "Thanks to John, Jim and many others that helped on Saturday the story was rewritten to one that all emergency responders strive to be a part of one day."

Image: File photo