A young boy in Massachusetts is alive thanks to family members who knew how to perform CPR.About 70 people were gathered around a backyard pool in Fairhaven Saturday afternoon when a young girl suddenly noticed her 4-year-old cousin was at the bottom of the pool in the deep end.”So they just looked and dived. They all dived in. Everybody just dived in,” said Dawn Bourgeois, the boy’s aunt.By the time family members brought the boy to the surface, he was blue and was not breathing. “And that’s when people started to scream,” said Erin DeCrosta.DeCrosta, who has been trained in CPR since she was a teenager, jumped into action and started doing chest compressions on the boy.”I don’t really remember a whole lot of it. Your instinct just kicks in,” DeCrosta said.In addition to DeCrosta, two more members of the boy’s family also knew CPR. Fairhaven Firefighter Jesse Lacerda, who is also a paramedic and lives nearby, rushed over when he heard the calls for help.After a couple of minutes of CPR, the boy coughed up water and started to cry.Fairhaven firefighters and paramedics who were on duty arrived at the scene within minutes, but they still might have been too late to save the boy’s life if his family had not known CPR.”The immediate CPR done by the family members automatically saved this kid’s life,” Lacerda said.Fairhaven Firefighter Maggie Rocha, who is also a paramedic, said that even if people are not CPR certified and even if they can’t remember all of the steps, it is still better o make an attempt.”I think it’s always good to try, right? So try: compress on the chest hard and fast,” Rocha said.The boy has since been released from the hospital and members of his family who don’t know CPR said they soon will.”I’m one of them. I will learn. Believe me,” Bourgeois said.The boy’s family members said the next time they have a large pool party, they will likely hire a lifeguard just to be safe.Fairhaven residents who are interested in becoming CPR certified can call Firefighter Maggie Rocha at 508-994-1428 or email her at mrocha@fairhaven-ma.gov. People who are interested in becoming CPR certified, but who are not Fairhaven residents, are encouraged to contact their local fire department.Related story:
A young boy in Massachusetts is alive thanks to family members who knew how to perform CPR.
About 70 people were gathered around a backyard pool in Fairhaven Saturday afternoon when a young girl suddenly noticed her 4-year-old cousin was at the bottom of the pool in the deep end.
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“So they just looked and dived. They all dived in. Everybody just dived in,” said Dawn Bourgeois, the boy’s aunt.
By the time family members brought the boy to the surface, he was blue and was not breathing.
“And that’s when people started to scream,” said Erin DeCrosta.
DeCrosta, who has been trained in CPR since she was a teenager, jumped into action and started doing chest compressions on the boy.
“I don’t really remember a whole lot of it. Your instinct just kicks in,” DeCrosta said.
In addition to DeCrosta, two more members of the boy’s family also knew CPR. Fairhaven Firefighter Jesse Lacerda, who is also a paramedic and lives nearby, rushed over when he heard the calls for help.
After a couple of minutes of CPR, the boy coughed up water and started to cry.
Fairhaven firefighters and paramedics who were on duty arrived at the scene within minutes, but they still might have been too late to save the boy’s life if his family had not known CPR.
“The immediate CPR done by the family members automatically saved this kid’s life,” Lacerda said.
Fairhaven Firefighter Maggie Rocha, who is also a paramedic, said that even if people are not CPR certified and even if they can’t remember all of the steps, it is still better o make an attempt.
“I think it’s always good to try, right? So try: compress on the chest hard and fast,” Rocha said.
The boy has since been released from the hospital and members of his family who don’t know CPR said they soon will.
“I’m one of them. I will learn. Believe me,” Bourgeois said.
The boy’s family members said the next time they have a large pool party, they will likely hire a lifeguard just to be safe.
Fairhaven residents who are interested in becoming CPR certified can call Firefighter Maggie Rocha at 508-994-1428 or email her at mrocha@fairhaven-ma.gov.
People who are interested in becoming CPR certified, but who are not Fairhaven residents, are encouraged to contact their local fire department.