Boy saved from drowning thanks to mother’s CPR knowledge
4-year-old Mysael Escobar nearly drowned after falling into his family’s pool in Cathedral City Wednesday evening.
“It feels like your life has vanished at that moment,” Martha Escobar, Mysael’s grandmother, recounted.
She says Mysael had just left her day-care center Wednesday night. When Mysael got home, he went outside to look for his skateboard. His mom went out to check on him and found him at the bottom of the family pool turning purple.
His mother was able to pull him from the water and started performing CPR until emergency crews took over.
“It’s very important to know CPR for the benefit of your family and other people too. So important and even if you think they’re unconscious you have to keep going,” said Wayne Bennett, a CPR instructor and retired firefighter.
Bennett says quick action saved Mysael’s life.
“3 to 4 minutes is brain damage. 4 to 6 minutes, that brain damage becomes permanent. Survival rates prove that 35 percent of people who survive cardiac arrest, 35 percent of them have brain damage,” Bennett said.
Bennett says if you have a pool in your backyard, “learn CPR. Have it alarmed have it fenced in. Be vigilant. That’s the big thing. Everybody will say, ‘I just took my eyes off for a second.'”
If you’re not CPR certified, Bennett says to call 9-1-1 and start chest compressions.
“Go to the center of the chest. interlock the fingers. Push at a rate of 100 times per minute and don’t stop,” Bennett said.
Mysael is recovering at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital. His family said he will be released to a playroom Tuesday where he will interact with other kids. The family is still waiting for a release date, but Mysael is expected to make a full recovery.
Local swimming resources include Infant Swimming Resource in Cathedral City, Rene’s Aquatics in Desert Hot Springs, and Make A Splash for Joel Foundation.
To learn more about water safety, visit the county’s resource page at http://rivcowatersafety.org/.
If you’d like to learn more about CPR Certification, click here.
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