Home/Swimming

As much as therapeutic and leisurely swimming might appear, it also may overturn to be something dangerous. Hence, instances of the life-saving deeds of people are a reassurance. Remarkably, kids also seem to have grown more vigilant and have rescued the lives of adults. Two 10-year-old kids from Alabama once rescued their father from drowning in their pool. The twins who saw their father struggling whilst performing underwater swimming meditation quickly dragged their father towards the shallow end of the pool. However, the spotlight recently turned to another tween kid for his heroic attempt and impressive cognizance.

On Tuesday a Florida-based boy provided a breath of relief for the swimming world. The 12-year-old who learned CPR from a hit Netflix show was able to save his therapist amid a swimming mishap. A video of the boy’s brave attempt has gone viral on social media, deriving much appreciation from the community.

A 12-year-old boy avoids a swimming tragedy

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

On September 12, Good Morning America shared a video of a 12-year-old boy named Austen MacMillan saving a life in a heroic attempt on Twitter. In the video captioned “12-year-old boy saves therapist from drowning in the swimming pool,” Austen was seen pulling his unconscious therapist named Jason Piquette from the water towards the pool steps and later performing CPR.

According to Piquette, he and Austen had been competing in an underwater challenge to see who could hold their breath longer under the water. Unfortunately, things quickly started to take a turn for the worse when Piquette lost consciousness under the water and was seen floating in the pool. Amidst the spiraling situation, the 12-year-old kid was alarmed to find his therapist being under the water for more than five minutes. He realized, “that is way too long, he can’t do that” and immediately came to the rescue.

The family’s security footage showed Austen diving into the pool and pulling his therapist from the deep end. He was also spotted running out of the house, calling for help. Sadly, Austen received no assistance, as his mother Christina MacMillan, was out shopping for Labour Day. The Florida-based youth even tried to call 911 through Piquette’s phone but unfortunately could not get access.

Also read: Labor Day Horrors Continue to Haunt America as 4th Swimming Enthusiast Gets Washed off New Jersey Shore

Finally taking the matter into his own hands, Austen reminded himself, “Don’t freak out”, and started performing CPR on the therapist. Even though Austen is not CPR certified, he was able to perform one after learning it from the Netflix show, Stranger Things. Austen claimed he “just saw it on the TV show Stranger Things.”

Fortunately, a few minutes after the CPR, Piquette revived and was seen gasping for air. After the rescue, both Piquette and Austin’s parents were proud of the young hero. As the therapist told the media ” I always want him to know that he is a hero.”  Intriguingly, after avoiding this tragic mishap, the parents also decided to take the initiative to avoid any such incidents in the future.

Proud parents ready to take the initiative

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

After saving Piquette from drowning, Austen’s parents were extremely proud. As the kid’s mother Christina told the media, ‘

It was definitely a proud mom moment. He’s really brave and courageous.” However, following the incident, the parents emphasized the necessity of swimming safety. Teaching kids how to perform CPR and dial 911 were of primary concern. The MacMillan family now plans to take the initiative and host a CPR class for their family and close friends.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

As the saying goes, not all heroes wear capes. Austen’s heroic attempt truly justifies it. Further, the attempts of the kid’s parents to help promote swimming safety is a great effort to bring change in the sphere. Hopefully, more people inspired by MacMillan’s initiative will take such initiatives in the future.

Watch this story: 22-Year-Old Loses His Life While Swimming Back to Shore in Another Drowning Tragedy in Lake Lanier