A Grade 9 pupil from Camps Bay High School was awarded the Western Province Surf Lifesaving: Hero Award following his determined actions to save the life of a victim of drowning.
While holidaying at his grandmother’s beach house, Sam Warren saw two members of the public pull a near-drowning victim from the sea. Warren rushed to assist the pair who were performing CPR on the victim.
Warren took the resuscitation of the victim into his own hands even with the rapidly rising tide and gathering crowd which made the rescue efforts all the more challenging.
The patient was vomiting and had an intermittent pulse but was not breathing properly. Warren was then joined by two lifeguards from the Big Bay Surf Lifesaving Club.
Together Sam and the two lifeguards worked in rotation to keep the patient in stable condition and calm the members of the public who were crowding around and watching.
After roughly 15 minutes, paramedics arrived on the scene and the victim was moved out of the tidal zone to the pavement, where all three of the lifeguards continued CPR in rotation with the paramedics.
Following approximately an hour of consistent and determined resuscitation efforts however, the patient was sadly declared dead.
Lifesaving Western Province has commended the young school-goer on his efforts in taking charge of the situation and performing CPR under the difficult condition while remaining calm and focused.
Pictures: Camps Bay High School/Schools that Rock