Community Corner

Westborough Teen Receives Medal for Saving Life

US Sen. Scott Brown presents the Medal of Heroism.

Among the many highlights of the Westborough Memorial Day celebration was the presentation of a Medal of Heroism to a Westborough teen credited with saving a life. US Sen. Scott Brown presented the award to sophomore Matthew McElligott.

Matthew, 15, is a Life Scout with Westborough Boy Scout Troop 382. During a Sea Cadet trip last summer, Matthew performed the Heimlich maneuver on a fellow Cadet who was choking on a taco.

“It happened in Buffalo, New York. We were at culinary training aboard the USS Little Rock,” Matthew told Westborough Patch. He said that tacos had been served as part of Taco Thursday, when a comrade started to choke.

Find out what's happening in Westboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I knew the Heimlich maneuver and so I did it,” he said. That quick thinking saved a life.

According to Matthew’s mother, Patty McElligott, Sea Cadets is a leadership program for ages 10 to 17. Matthew is a PO2 out of the Worcester Division, a unit run by a retired Master Chief of the Navy.

Find out what's happening in Westboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here