Ward remains in coma, likely to be revived Monday

Making the rounds at seasonal events Saturday, Mayor Art Ward stopped by the Italian Social Club for a bite to eat and some holiday glad-handing, a part of the job he usually enjoys.
He was sitting at a table eating dinner with Elliott Nelson, the city’s Democratic Party leader, when he suddenly got up and walked off a little.
Nelson said he didn’t think much about it because the mayor frequently takes phone calls by stepping away.
Then he heard someone ask Ward if he was in distress.
Nelson turned to the mayor.
“Artie couldn’t talk. He just shook his head no,” Nelson said.
A couple of public safety workers who happened to be nearby grabbed the mayor and began trying to do the Heimlich maneuver on him to dislodge the piece of meat caught in Ward’s throat.
“Artie just collapsed” into one of the men’s arms, Nelson said, and was lowered to the ground.
“It happened so fast. It just looked like a dream,” Nelson said.
At this point, concerned residents don’t yet know how Ward will fare. He is listed in critical but stable condition by Bristol Hospital, hooked up to a respirator in a medically induced coma, according to several sources.
Ward, 63, was without oxygen for a couple of minutes or more, two of them said, but nobody knows exactly how long. Nelson said that in an emergency, every minute feels like an hour, so it’s impossible to guess.  CLICK HERE FOR ENTIRE STORY.

L to R: Art Ward, Nancy Wyman, Elliott Nelson, Dan Malloy

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