Two arrested, 30 sidelined with heat stroke at Boston Celtics victory parade that drew 1M

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

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EMS removes a fan at the Boston Celtics championship parade as the heat got to a few people. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

More than 1 million people packed the streets of Boston to cheer on the Celtics during today's victory parade, and while the affair was relatively peaceful, police made at least two arrests and the heat sent more than 30 fans to the hospital.

A city spokesperson put attendance at “well over 1 million” people at the late Friday morning rolling rally, which, while scheduled to take place after a heat wave that stretched through the majority of the week, still featured sweltering conditions that left dozens of attendees on stretchers with “heat-related illnesses.”

“Boston EMS treated and transported more than 30 patients associated with the event to area hospitals,” EMS spokesperson Erin Serino said in a statement. “Patient complaints included minor injuries and illnesses, including heat-related illnesses.

“With more than 80 EMTs and paramedics assigned to the event, we were able to provide first-aid level care at field medical stations, avoiding additional transports to the hospitals.”

Sam Dillon, president of Boston Firefighters Local 718, said “heat is always a concern” and the fire union’s members “do their best to work under difficult conditions.”

Details were scarce from both the Boston and Transit Police, but by late Friday afternoon, BPD spokesperson Mariellen Burns reported two parade-related arrests had been made by the department.

The first arrest was made on Tremont Street at 11:15 am The man was charged with disorderly conduct and vandalizing property.

A second man was arrested at Causeway and North Washington Street about 15 minutes later, but police were still awaiting details, including what the charges would be as of 3 p.m., Burns said.

By 4 pm, Transit Police were “still dealing with large volumes of crowds at certain MBTA stations,” spokesperson Richard Sullivan said, adding that details on T-related safety incidents and arrests would not be available until Saturday.

The parade began at 11 am Celtics players and others rode duck boats, starting at TD Garden on Causeway Street, and proceeded to pass by City Hall Plaza and the Boston Common, before ending on Boylston Street by the Hynes Convention Center.