A holiday trip turned into a life-saving mission for 17-year-old James Smith, a learner from Dainfern College in Johannesburg, who played a crucial role in rescuing a police officer who drowned while swimming in the sea.

Fourways Review reports that Smith and his family were enjoying a beach holiday in Kei Mouth when a 31-year-old police officer went for a morning swim. He was soon pulled from the water, unresponsive, with no pulse and not breathing, after being underwater for approximately eight minutes.

“I was walking along the beach looking for a good fishing spot,” James recounted. “As I was coming back, I saw someone in the water. I went to the lifeguards to ask if they were going to get him, and at that point, I noticed he was not afloat but facing downward.”

Joining the rescue effort

Although two lifeguards initially attempted to retrieve the officer, strong currents hampered their efforts. Two other teenagers swam out to assist, and James, who had retrieved his personal first-aid grab bag, joined the effort to bring the man safely to shore.

Trained in first aid, James holds a level 3 first aid certificate, as well as basic life support for healthcare providers.

Once on the beach, he checked the officer and found no pulse. “At that point, he could have been clinically classified as dead, so I immediately started CPR.”

James co-ordinated the rescue effort, instructing lifeguards and bystanders to call emergency services and fetch an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Life-saving measures

For 15 minutes, he performed CPR while guiding lifeguards on how to use an aspirator to clear the officer’s airways. He then inserted an oropharyngeal airway device to keep the tongue from blocking the airway, allowing the team to continue life-saving measures.

Over the next two hours, James and the lifeguards alternated performing CPR. Community members assisted by bringing blankets for the officer and water for the rescuers.

When the AED arrived, it detected a faint heartbeat, meaning a shock was not required. Finally, paramedics from East London arrived.

James briefed them on the situation and assisted as they administered medications, intubated the officer, and stabilised him for transfer to a hospital in East London.

Recognition for bravery

The police officer survived the ordeal, thanks to the bravery and quick thinking of a teenage hero who proved that training and courage can make all the difference in a life-or-death situation. “I would trust my [Dainfern College] first aid team with my life. I know how good the programme is as I know how hard the students work. I definitely would not have been able to do what I did without it.”

Andrew Baker, the executive head of Dainfern College, expressed the college’s incredible pride in James. “He acted without hesitation to help save a human life in a crisis situation, showing initiative, leadership, and great personal courage. We are so proud of him. He epitomises all the attributes Dainfern College strives to instil in our students.”

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