HUDSONVILLE, Mich. — Olivia Drake was relaxing on her back porch Friday morning when all of a sudden, she heard someone screaming next door.
Drake ran out her front door and into her neighbor’s backyard where she found an 18-month-old girl not breathing.
“When we seen the son jump into the pool, we knew that somebody was most likely drowning, and my instincts just kicked in,” Drake said. “Luckily, my instincts kicked in and I just was on autopilot and was able to perform CPR.”
She says she happened to have CPR training when she was younger.
“I was certified through my youth group, so I’ve learned twice…From there, I didn’t think I was ever going to use it,” Drake explained. “I was just so grateful to be in the right place at the right time. Honestly…I’m blessed to know how to do CPR and I was able to stay calm and go through that.”
FOX 17 talked with the baby’s mother about what happened, and she says her daughter is doing better.
The woman also thanked her neighbor for her quick action because, despite knowing CPR, she says she was frozen in the moment.
Life EMS says having proper CPR training can make a major difference in saving someone’s life.
“In the time of need when somebody goes into cardiac arrest, seconds matter,” Tim Newton, the director of education for Life EMS, said. “When bystanders of the general public begin CPR, chances for survival are greatly increased.”
Cardiac arrests happen more often while at home, and CPR can double or even triple the chance of survival, according to the American Heart Association.
“The general idea is, it’s five cycles of 30-to-two, so 30 compressions to two breaths,” Newton explained. “If you have a pocket mask and can give breaths, do that. Otherwise, you just push until you get tired.”
He says to also make sure someone is calling 911, which is what Drake’s husband did.
Life EMS is an American Heart Association Training Center, offering a variety of CPR training options, including Basic Life Support and Heartsaver First Aid.
Click here to check out the schedule or enroll in a class.
