 | | | Dylan Watson races with Oakland Strokes. Photo provided
| | | | | | Miramonte sophomore Dylan Watson put recent CPR skills learned in his PE class to work Thursday, May 10 when he came upon a fallen man on the walking trail at the Lafayette Reservoir. Orinda resident Maria Rowland and her husband, Dennis, rushed to the side of an elderly man after he fell off a bench, landing facedown. Watson ran up moments later, helped turn the man over, and after making an assessment immediately began chest compressions as Rowland called 911.
"I was so wowed by Dylan's presence," said Maria Rowland. "It was truly an emergency situation and he was present, attentive and conscientious. He was truly like a hero."
Rowland said the high school student performed CPR on the gentleman for approximately seven minutes until the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) arrived. Paramedics shocked the man's heart three times and administered medication to get the heart beating again.
Miramonte High School PE teacher Christi Costa was glad the Moraga-Orinda Fire Department came to the school for two days this semester to talk to students and to help teach CPR. "We had every student perform CPR on the dolls," she said. "I made it especially serious in my class since I had heart failure after having my baby not too long ago (at 39 years old). I told my students that everyone should know CPR and emphasized the importance on saving lives."
Contra Costa County Fire District Captain Paramedic Gil Caravantes said Watson did a phenomenal job. "Very few people step up when they see someone has fallen; they just keep walking," he said. "It's wonderful to see this young man stop and go the extra mile. Thanks to Dylan, we were able to get pulses back and he had spontaneous respirations when we arrived at the hospital." The gentleman was taken to Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek and was still in the hospital as of last week.
"Dylan was so shaken up afterward," said Watson's mother, Karen. "But at the time it happened, a calm just came over him and he knew what to do."
"I'm so proud of him," Caraventes said. "I'd love to have a son like him."
For information about CPR classes offered in the area, you can visit www.mofd.org/services/cpr-firstaid. J. Wake
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA