Camps Bay learner receives hero award
6 June 2019
Grade 9 Camps Bay High School learner, Sam Warren, recently received one of the highest honours from Western Province Surf Lifesaving: the Hero Award.
Whilst on holiday at his grandmother’s beach house, Sam was alerted to the fact that two members of the public had pulled a drowning person from the sea.
He ran out onto the beach where the two members of the public who had pulled the victim from the water were attempting to perform CPR on the victim.
Sam took charge of the resuscitation, made more difficult by the rapidly rising tide and the gathering crowd. The patient was vomiting, had an intermittent pulse but was not breathing.
Sam was joined by two lifeguards from Big Bay Surf Lifesaving Club. They joined Sam in rotation, allowing the members of the public to retire. About 15 minutes after that, the paramedics arrived 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. After approximately an hour the patient was unfortunately declared dead.
Lifesaving Western Province has commended Sam on his efforts in taking charge of the situation and performing CPR.
Sam’s actions are to be commended. His maturity and responsiveness – to serve the needs of others – are a shining example to other learners.