A quick-thinking garbage truck driver is being credited for saving the life of a toddler who was found unconscious in a Florida pool.
CBS Miami reports that while Andy Perez of Waste Pro was on his route this week in Miramar he was approached by a boy who asked if he knew CPR.
The fast-thinking Perez jumped from his truck and rushed to the aid of a child in a home nearby who had been found seemingly lifeless in his grandmother’s pool.
Perez began performing CPR on the 1-year-old, which included chest compressions. He was able to expel water from the boy’s lungs and even turned him on his side to prevent the boy from inhaling the water again.
Perez continued to perform CPR until paramedics arrived. While en route to Joe DiMaggio Children’s hospital, the boy’s pulse was restored.
“I’m very happy, because I have three kids, a granddaughter too, and I love them,” Perez told CBS Miami.
There are mixed reports on the boy’s condition. A relative of the boy told a CBS Miami reporter that the toddler is fine and is expected to fully recover, while Miramar police on Monday said the boy was still in critical condition.
Miramar police report that the boy was in the care of his grandmother’s boyfriend on Monday at the time of his near-drowning. Other children were present in the home. Police are continuing to investigate.