Millis Police Officer Angela Vongsavath lauded for helping save life at Stones concert
Millis Police Officer Angela Vongsavath was awarded the Foxboro Police Department’s Lifesaving Medal for her heroic efforts in performing CPR on a man in distress at the May 30 Rolling Stones concert at Gillette Stadium. The award was presented to Vongsavath (center) by Foxboro Police Lt. Adam Byrnes (L) and Foxboro Police Chief Mike Grace. Source: Facebook @FoxboroughPD
By Theresa Knapp
You may have heard the story about a woman who performed CPR on a man in distress at the Rolling Stones concert on May 30, but you may not know there were three women and one of them was an officer with the Millis Police Department.
According to a post on the @millispolice’s Facebook page, “Millis Police Department Officer Angela Vongsavath was working a detail at Gillette Stadium for the Rolling Stones concert. During the event, Officer Vongsavath was flagged down by security for an unresponsive male party. Officer Vongsavath sprinted up the stairs, climbed over seats, quickly assessed the male party, and took over CPR from another patron.”
Local Town Pages has since learned that patron was a nurse who, along with another nurse, had started CPR on the man. They were soon relieved by Officer Vongsavath.
The Facebook post continued, “The male party was not breathing and had no identifiable pulse. Officer Vongsavath continued CPR while EMS personnel rushed to get there through the crowd.
“Once on scene, EMS personnel from Foxborough Fire Department and Coastal Ambulance, took over medical care. Medical personnel were able to utilize an AED while continuing CPR. Officer Vongsavath continued to assist, along with numerous other officers, fire/EMS, TeamOps, and patrons, in a coordinated effort to save the man’s life. This was all done in the dark, and with the extremely loud noise of the concert and fans.
“Once stabilized, the patron was rushed to an awaiting ambulance where he had already regained consciousness and was speaking to medical personnel.
“Officer Vongsavath’s quick response and immediately providing CPR contributed to the positive outcome and helped save the man’s life.”
In an interview with Boston 25 News in July, the man Officer Vongsavath helped save - Tony Palladino, 78, of Marblehead - said he was there to see the Stones for the 14th time, and after his collapse, he was taken to the hospital where he underwent double bypass heart surgery days later.
During the television interview, Palladino said he was hoping to learn the identity of the woman who saved his life so he could give her a big hug. Little did he know, it was three women.
As of press time, Palladino had met in person with the two nurses, and talked by phone with Officer Vongsavath.
“I was very thankful to have played a part in saving Mr. Palladino’s life,” Officer Vongsavath told Local Town Pages, explaining she was alerted to the emergency by Gillette’s TeamsOps staff. “The firefighters and paramedics who rushed to the scene were a pivotal factor in the outcome as well.”
Officer Vongsavath stressed the importance of knowing CPR, noting it can be the distinguishing factor in saving someone’s life. “I urge the public to take basic CPR courses in hopes that, if they are ever in this situation, they can help to the best of their ability.”
For her actions that day, Officer Vongsavath was awarded the Foxborough Police Department’s Lifesaving Medal.
To watch the full Boston 25 News interview with Mr. Palladino, visit https://bit.ly/3zGXVUj.
Sources Facebook @millispolice and boston25news.com
