By Jonah Frangiosa
The Eagle-Tribune
HAVERHILL, Mass. — What was an ordinary Sunday afternoon nearly turned tragic for one Haverhill man — until a passing ambulance crew jumped into action.
On Aug. 30, Haverhill Housing Authority Deputy Executive Director Dan Dellea suffered a sudden, near-fatal heart attack while stopped at the intersection of Winter and Main streets.
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As he fell into distress, a passing motorist and a Housing Authority employee noticed the medical emergency and quickly flagged down a nearby Pridestar Trinity EMS ambulance that was in the area.
Inside of the ambulance were Emergency Medical technicians Alex Hatfield, of Methuen, and Danielle Chambers, of Haverhill, with the support of Haverhill supervisor and paramedic Sean McCormack, of Allenstown, N.H. The three of them rushed to Dellea’s aid.
In an instant, the crew began lifesaving measures at the scene and successfully achieved a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), which restored Dellea’s heartbeat into rhythm before he reached the hospital.
He was transported to Lawrence General Hospital and later flown to Lahey Hospital in Burlington via medical helicopter.
Nearly a month later, Dellea was discharged and has since returned home, grateful for the life ahead of him and his saviors.
“That crew saved my life,” Dellea said, “and I wanted to thank them personally.”
After recovering, he and his wife reconnected with McCormack, Chambers and Hatfield to thank them for their heroism.
The supervisor on duty that day, McCormack, praised the diligence and work of his two EMTS who made that rescue possible.
“Alex and Danielle did everything right,” McCormack said. “They acted fast, stayed calm, and brought him back before he even reached the hospital. That’s what teamwork in EMS is all about.”
“This is exactly why we do what we do. Our team’s professionalism and compassion made all the difference for this patient and his family,” Pridestar Trinity EMS President and CEO David Daly said.
“We’re incredibly proud of Alex, Danielle, and Sean. We also want to thank Haverhill Fire who was on scene and provided incredible support and patient care.”
Locally owned and operated, Pridestar Trinity EMS is a 911 emergency and non-emergency transportation company with service that dates back to 1991.
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