Lethbridge boy reunited with first responders who saved him from drowning

LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. –

A 10-year-old Lethbridge boy is being hailed as a hero after a routine summer outing to the pool almost turned into a tragedy for his friend.

On July 29, nine-year-old Carter Lam was swimming with his friend Benjamin Nunez, ten, at the YMCA when the ordinary day took a life-threatening turn.

“We started playing near the diving boards and (Carter) tried to challenge himself to cross the pool in one go and he started swimming,” Nunez recalled.

By then, Nunez had gotten out of the water and was following Carter onto the pool deck when he realized his friend was in trouble.

“For a second I thought he was joking, but then I went for it,” Nunez said. “I tried to tell someone to help me and they whistled and started doing CPR and stuff. »

YMCA Lethbridge lifeguards Michaela McFarlane, Reese Walper and Drew Armener cleaned the pool and had Carter out of the water within seconds.

“We first assessed the pulse,” said McFarlane, who, along with Walper, is a student paramedic.

“He didn’t look like he was breathing but we wanted to make sure. We didn’t receive anything, so we immediately started collecting our trauma bag and AED (automated external defibrillator).

Meanwhile, off-duty paramedic Nicholas Spencer and doctor Dr Ryan Derman were using the facilities when they noticed the commotion.

“I had just finished a workout and was cooling off on the treadmill and I could see Ryan in the hot tub and all of a sudden he got up in a hurry and I could see one “lifeguards are pulling a body out of the pool,” said Spencer, a paramedic/firefighter with Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services (LFES).

That’s when he got off the treadmill and ran towards the pool to help her.

“I saw Ryan doing CPR, so I ran to help him, called for the AED and just checked the young man’s airway,” he said.

While first responders worked to save Carter, his mother Candice received a phone call from the YMCA about the incident in progress.

“Myself, my husband and my eldest son jumped in the car – we live about three minutes from the pool – so we beat the ambulance and by the time we ran towards the pool Carter was conscious and sitting up “, said Candice. .

“I don’t really remember much…I was just hyper focused on Carter and making sure he was okay.”

Carter was taken to the hospital as a precaution and released shortly after.

“He was fine,” Candice said. “He started swimming again a week or two after the incident.”

On Friday, Carter, his family and Nunez met with the first responders and bystanders who saved his life.

“We don’t do it to be recognized, we do it to see that person later and know that you made a difference in someone’s life. It’s huge, it’s something we’re all striving to do,” Spencer said.

“You have a connection with them, and it never leaves, you always have it and it’s pretty cool and a great experience.” Honestly, this is why most people do this job.

LFES says Carter’s story is a good reminder of the importance of vigilance and awareness when children and adults are around water, as well as the life-saving power of CPR.

Officials say statistics show immediate CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival in the event of a cardiac arrest.

During a ceremony at LFES headquarters, Carter received a plaque to hang on the “survivors wall” inside the fire station.

While the event is something the Lam family won’t soon forget, Candice says the bond between the two boys is why her son is here today.

“For a 10-year-old to have that ability to think quickly and stay calm in a situation like that, we are so happy and grateful that Carter has good friends who always look out for him,” he said. she declared.