Crime & Safety
Rescue Of Shrewsbury Man After Heart Attack Earns DA Award
911 dispatchers talked Andy MacIsaac's wife through chest compression before police and paramedics arrived during the July 2023 incident.
SHREWSBURY, MA — A group of local police, firefighters, dispatchers and paramedics were honored Wednesday by Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. for their team effort saving a Shrewsbury man's life after a heart attack.
The Team Excellence and Merit award (TEAM) was shared by 12 first responders who helped Shrewsbury resident Andy MacIsaac live long enough to make it to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.
MacIsaac collapsed in July 2023 after coming home from a walk with his dogs. When his wife, Tricia, dialed 911, she reached Worcester EMS Dispatcher John Cappe, who instructed her how to perform chest compressions. Shrewsbury officer Christopher Viera arrived first and took over chest compressions, while officer Jeffrey Svendsen provided rescue breaths.
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The officers and a group of Shrewsbury firefighters and paramedics worked for about 30 minutes to restart MacIsaac's heart. Once at UMass Memorial, doctors performed surgery to remove an arterial blockage. MacIsaac left the hospital about a week after his heart attack, according to the DA's office.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to each member of the responding team,”MacIsaac said in a news release. “Their courage, quick thinking, and dedication to duty were instrumental in giving me a second chance at life. In the face of such a critical emergency, their professionalism shone through, providing not only medical assistance but also the reassurance and comfort to my wife (and dogs) that can only come from individuals committed to serving and protecting their community.”
Find out what's happening in Shrewsburyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The full list of first responders who shared the TEAM award for MacIsaac's rescue include:
- Shrewsbury police Lt. Adam Cameron
- Shrewsbury Officers Waleed Belgou, Ahmed Kafel, Jeffrey Svendsen and Christopher Vieira
- Dispatchers Noah Coates and Kurt White
- Shrewsbury firefighters Michael Bowles and Christopher White
- Worcester EMS dispatcher John Cappe
- Worcester EMS paramedics Paige Murray and James Smith
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