Rockland First Responders Provide Crucial Medical Care to Man Who Suffered Severe Injury in Industrial Accident

ROCKLAND – Police Chief John Llewellyn reports that two officers from the Rockland Police Department helped to save a man’s life after the man’s arm was severed in an industrial accident early Friday morning.

At approximately 5:50 a.m., the Rockland Police Department responded to a 911 call from National Coating Corp., 105 Industrial Way, about a man who was severely injured. The company provides commercial and industrial solvent and water capable coating and saturation services.

Upon arrival, Sgt. Thomas MacDonald and Officer Mark Nota entered the building and came upon a 66-year-old Pembroke man who was sitting in a chair with a pool of blood beneath him. The man’s left arm had been severed at the elbow.

A fellow employee had made a makeshift tourniquet with a t-shirt, but the victim was still losing large amounts of blood from his wound.

Sgt. MacDonald instructed Officer Nota to go get a bag with medical supplies from their cruiser. Once Officer Nota came back, Sgt. MacDonald used a tourniquet kit to apply a tourniquet over the wound until the bleeding stopped.

Fire Chief Scott Duffey reports that Rockland firefighters arrived minutes later and provided further medical care to the victim. He was taken by a Rockland Fire ambulance to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth where he was in stable condition. The man was later transported to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and he is expected to survive.

The initial investigation indicates that the victim was working on a machine when his arm got caught and pulled into the gears, severing his arm.

“I want to commend both our officers who responded and immediately took action that likely saved this man’s life,” Chief Llewellyn said. “Our officers never know what they are going into when they respond to an incident. Which is why it is crucial to keep the medical supplies and tourniquet kits in our cruisers and properly train our officers how to apply medical aid when necessary.”

Added Chief Duffey: “Every second counts with an injury like that and thankfully it looks like this man is going to survive, thanks in part to the two officers and our EMTs who responded to the scene. Great job by everyone involved.”

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