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Date: 5/4/2021
SOUTHWICK – Joe “Bazooka Joe” Langlois died doing what he loved most – spending time with friends and racing motorcycles.
Langlois, a lifelong Northampton resident, was riding on a track with friends when he had a heart attack May 24, 2020. By the time anyone could begin life-saving measures, it was too late. Nearly one year later, those friends are honoring his memory while hoping to prevent another tragic death with a donation of 12 automated external defibrillators (AED) to motocross tracks in the northeast.
“Joe was the type of individual everyone knew,” said Rob Lockwood, Langlois’ friend who helped organize a benefit to raise the funds for the AEDs. “Joe was all about dirt bikes and motorcycles and making people happy.”
A benefit hosted at Southwick’s The Wick 338 motocross track in September 2020 raised $29,000, allowing the friends to purchase the AEDs and train users.
A group of those friends and track owners gathered for distribution and initial training April 29 at the Southwick Fire Station. The Wick owner, Rick Johnson, said following the initial training, his entire staff would be trained as well.
Joe Healy, a paramedic, helped organize the benefit and training with assistance from the Northampton Fire Department, noting that medic “Daryl Springman was instrumental” in the effort.
Healy said the friends chose to gift AEDs because when used within a minute of a heart attack, an AED can increase the chance of survival 98 percent. Every minute an AED is not used decreases the chance of survival dramatically. It was 15 minutes before an AED was able to be used on Langlois.
Johnson said there was a similar situation in Southwick and Police Officer Michael Bridges was able to perform manual compressions and an AED was then used and the person lived. Johnson said that is the goal of the benefit and donation.
“The purpose of this is to prevent another tragedy,” Johnson said.
At The Wick, emergency medical staff are present on the track during all events, riding a quad around the track
Lockwood said the AEDs are not only for riders, but the audience as well
“I’m a spectator now and the father of a rider,” he said. “This can be used for anyone.”
Healy said that, unfortunately, he has seen many fatal dirt bike incidents in his years as a rider and medical professional. He was sad to lose a friend but happy to have something good come of the tragedy.
“What better way to honor him,” he said. “A life that was taken will save others down the road.”