For Immediate Release

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Rockland Police Officers to be Presented Lifesaving Award for Providing Medical Aid to Man Injured in Industrial Accident

ROCKLAND – Chief John Llewellyn is pleased to announce that he will be presenting a lifesaving award to two Rockland Police officers tonight for their efforts in helping to save a man’s life when his arm was severed in an industrial accident in March.

WHEN:

Tuesday, May 21 at 7 p.m.

WHERE:

Rockland Board of Selectmen meeting, Rockland Town Hall, 242 Union St.

WHO:

Chief Llewellyn will be presenting the award to Sgt. Thomas MacDonald and Officer Mark Nota.

The victim, John Kelley, age 66, of Pembroke and his family will also be in attendance.

WHAT:

At approximately 5:50 a.m. on Friday, March 22, the Rockland Police Department responded to a 911 call from a business about a man who was severely injured.

Upon arrival, Sgt. MacDonald and Officer Nota entered the building and came upon John Kelley, age 66, of Pembroke, who was sitting in a chair with a pool of blood beneath him. Kelley’s left arm had been severed at the elbow while working on a machine.

A fellow employee had made a makeshift tourniquet with a t-shirt, but Kelley 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.

Rockland firefighters arrived on scene minutes later and provided further medical care to Kelley.

Kelley was transported to the hospital and he unfortunately lost his arm as a result of the incident.

“I would like to formally commend our two officers who sprang into action to help save Mr. Kelley’s life during what was a very traumatic incident,” Chief Llewellyn said. “The men and women of our department go into work everyday not knowing what they might encounter. Thanks to their quick actions, our officers were able fall back on their training during medical emergencies and assist Mr. Kelley by stopping the bleeding prior to the arrival of the ambulance.”

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