When he isn't playing football for Lubbock High School, Alex Cabada, 15, works part time as a lifeguard at the YWCA. This summer, while on duty, he was forced to put his training to work when he saw a child go under water.
"I grabbed him and took him to the side, laid him down, tilted his head and checked his vitals, and then started doing chest compressions," Cabada said.
Chest compression after chest compression, Cabada knew he couldn't stop until the child was breathing again. After several rounds, the child began to wake up. Alex, who was thankful, says he never thought twice about helping the boy. He says his adrenaline took over.
"It just kicks in, you just come in and start doing CPR like you're trained to do. You don't even think about it," Cabada said.
Alex had only been a lifeguard for a few months and had just recently learned how to perform CPR. He says it's a skill he is grateful for and believes everyone should learn how to do it.
"Just so people know what they are going to do, if a situation like that happens, they should know what they're doing," Cabada said.
Alex says he is thankful the situation ended well. However, he doesn't consider himself a hero. He says be believes anyone would have done the same thing.
"I think if they had the proper training and knew what they were doing, they would hop in, too, and try to help. That's what I think," Cabada said.
Copyright 2012 KCBD. All rights reserved.
Alex Cabada
