From right to left: Tom McHale, John Chan, Dave Campbell, Roland Tyler, Mike Veno. Missing from photo John Kerr and Andrea Ferguson.

What started as a regular workday turned into a team effort lead by Local 589 members to save a man’s life on T property.

The MBTA recently purchased a large piece of floor sweeping equipment and a vendor representative was in to set up and demonstrate the machine. While preparing for the training, the vendor cut a large tie wrap which gave way unexpectedly, causing the knife to slice downward and into the man’s leg. It quickly became apparent to T workers that the man’s femoral artery had been cut causing blood to spray 4 feet.

At that point, Local 589 members jumped into action. Tom McHale calmed the man and phoned 911. Dave Campbell began applying pressure to the leg to stem the bleeding. Bleeding persisted and John Kerr, Roland Tyler, John Chan, and Mike Veno went into action finding rope and lumber to create a makeshift tourniquet while calming the victim until emergency services arrived. Members, including Andrea Ferguson, then stepped in to clean up the accident.

The vendor underwent 2 hours of surgery and doctors told him he had lost 20% of his blood volume. Doctors also said without the quick actions of the Local 589 members and other T workers on site the man most likely would have bleed out and died.

Heroes work on the MBTA everyday.

Special thanks to Barn Captain Ray McCue for the information and picture for this story.