Connor Fitz-Gerald, a 5-year-old boy, is credited with saving the life of a young girl. Connor and a few of his classmates were playing in the sand at Marina Dunes when he noticed something that terrified him. Alyssa Bostic, a 5-year-old girl, was buried beneath the sand and had
Connor immediately sprang into action when he realized no adults were in the area. He dug out the sand from her head and then pulled her out. Connor claims to have learned cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from the television show NCIS.
Tim Fitz-Gerald, Connor’s father, was pleased with his son’s quick thinking. “I’m relieved he had the opportunity to sit back and think something is going on; there are no parents here, I know they’re at least a quarter mile away; I need to do something,” Tim explained.
When the adults were reached, they immediately called emergency services. It turned out that Connor’s CPR in those minutes between was crucial in saving Alyssa’s life!
Alyssa recovered fully, and Connor was later presented the National Youth Hero Award by the American Legion Auxiliary.
CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is an emergency procedure that combines chest compressions with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures can be taken to restore spontaneous circulation. When performed correctly, CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that everyone learn CPR. It is a life-saving measure that can be used in many different situations, such as heart attacks, drowning, and choking.
There are three main steps to performing CPR: check the scene for hazards, determine if the victim is unresponsive, and then provide CPR.
If you come across a victim who is unresponsive, you should first check to see if the person is actually unconscious or just unable to respond. Tap the person on his or her shoulder and ask loudly if he/she is OK. If there is no response, the victim should be presumed to be unresponsive. If you are alone, call 911 before beginning CPR. Otherwise, give two rescue breaths by tilting the head back slightly then closing the victim’s mouth and breathing into the person. Each breath should last about 1 second. If there is no response, check for a pulse on the side of his/hers neck for 5 seconds. If there is still no response, begin performing chest compressions by placing the heel of your hand in the center of their chest and pressing down vertically. Push hard and fast, at a rate of 100 compressions per minute. If you are trained in CPR, you can also provide rescue breaths between chest compressions.
To learn more about CPR or to find a class near you, visit the American Heart Association’s website.
Connor Fitz-Gerald is a 5-year-old boy who is credited with saving the life of a young girl. On January 13, 2014, Connor was playing at Marina Dunes in California when he saw something that terrified him: Alyssa Bostic, another 5-year-old girl, was buried beneath the sand and had stopped moving. Connor immediately began to dig out the sand from her head and then pulled her out. Connor’s quick action as well as his knowledge of CPR helped save Alyssa’s life.
