David Scott, Chief of Police
59 Main St.
Pepperell, MA 01463
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 978-743-0004
Email: [email protected]
Pepperell Police Officer Credited with Saving Life
PEPPERELL — Police Chief David Scott is proud to announce that a Pepperell Police Officer’s quick thinking and actions saved the life of a Pepperell man yesterday who had suffered a medical emergency.
Shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Pepperell Police and the Pepperell Ambulance Service was dispatched to Kemp’s Service Station on Groton Street for a reported vehicle that drove into a building with the driver slumped over the steering wheel.
Officer Fabirizio Vestri responded and was first emergency worker to arrive on scene. Officer Vestri found the victim to be unresponsive and began to administer CPR. Vestri used his automatic external defibrillator on the victim during CPR, and the defibrillator shocked the victim’s heart, which is credited with saving his life.
The building was not seriously damaged.
“So much of these situations are about timing. Oddly enough, our officers, including Officer Vestri had just made an arrest on the other end of town a few minutes prior to this medical call. If this medical emergency had happened a few minutes earlier, the officers might have been tied up making the arrest,” Chief Scott said. “Luckily, Officer Vestri was driving toward the area and was in the right place at the right time to make a difference.
The victim was transferred from Nashoba Valley Hospital last night and was reported to be doing well. We he was awake and talking to the EMTs as they dropped him off at the hospital, Chief Scott said.
The victim’s niece sent Chief Scott a message late yesterday, asking him to thank Officer Vestri for saving her uncle’s life.
Chief Scott would also like to find a second man who helped Officer Vestri save the victim’s life.
“Officer Vestri told me that it was a total team effort,” Chief Scott said. “He mentioned that an employee of Pepperell Beverage who is also a firefighter in a nearby town ran over and assisted him with CPR. Of course our paramedics and EMTs were major factors as well.”
Chief Scott will visit Pepperell Beverage later today to try to find that employee and thank him for his lifesaving help.
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