A boy tried to jump a fence to help an older woman. He got impaled and lost ‘a significant amount of blood,’ police say.
The spikes on top of the fence possibly hit the boy’s femoral artery, according to authorities.
A 14-year-old boy in Melrose saw an older woman trip on a sidewalk Tuesday night near Winthrop Elementary School, so he tried to jump a fence to give her a hand, according to local police.
However, it was the boy who ended up needing urgent assistance.
His leg was impaled by the spikes on top of the four-foot fence, and they possibly hit his femoral artery.
“The boy was pale and lethargic after losing a significant amount of blood from his leg, and his friends used a sweatshirt to attempt to stop the bleeding until first responders arrived,” police said in a release.
Melrose Sgt. Charles Byrne and Officer Levi DiFranza were the first on scene around 9:30 p.m. DiFranza applied pressure to the boy’s wound and used a tourniquet to stop the bleeding while other emergency responders were en route. Police Chief Michael Lyle credited the officers, as well as responding Officer Alexander Barranco, with saving the boy’s life.
The boy, who remained conscious, was ultimately taken to a Boston hospital by ambulance.
“He is still recovering at the hospital, but is in good health and is not believed to have suffered any long-term health effects,” police said Wednesday.
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