A Day At the Beach
Most people enjoy going to the beach on a hot summer day. Both children and adults enjoy being in the sun, playing in the sand, and swimming in the water. If you by any public beach on a summer day, you can expect the parking lot to be filled. In most cases, at the end of the day, the family packs up their gear and heads home. There are other days; however, where things don’t exactly go as planned. This is what happened to a little girl named Alyssa Bostic in 2017.
Alyssa Bostic
Alyssa Bostic was with her parents at the Marina Dunes in California. The five-year-old girl was playing in the sand, not knowing that in minutes she would experience a near-death experience. Alyssa and some of the other kids at the beach were digging large caves in the sand. This is not uncommon for young children. Alyssa was the smallest of the group, and she was able to fit into one of the caves. After she crawled in, the whole cave collapsed on her. She was completely buried, and she was unable to breathe. It wasn’t long before she passed out.
No Adults
In the area where the children were digging, there were no adults around. The closest adult as about a quarter-mile away. The kids didn’t know what to do. Running to get an adult would take too much time. By the time an adult had time to dig her out, it would be too late. Fortunately, 11-year-old Connor Fitz-Gerald was on the beach that day, and he was digging with the other children. When he saw the tunnel collapse on little Alyssa, he acted quickly. This 11-year-old boy playing on beach finds a little girl buried alive in sand immediately jumps to action.
Connor Saves the Day
Connor ran over to the area where the tunnel collapsed and he dug Alyssa out. He says that he started digging at her head first because he knew that she needed to breathe. When the other kids came running over, Connor had Alyssa out of the tunnel and he pulled her up to the top of the hills. He saw that she wasn’t breathing, so he started CPR. He knew that her best chance would be for him to resuscitate her rather than finding an adult to do it. He says that he never had CPR training, but he learned how to do it by watching NCIS on television. Fortunately, CPR was effective, and Alyssa was breathing again.
A True Hero
Most kids wouldn’t have known what to do in this situation. Those who knew what to do may have frozen at the idea of being in a life and death situation. Fortunately for Alyssa, Connor didn’t panic. He didn’t run, and he didn’t freeze up. Instead, he did what he could to save Alyssa using a technique that he saw on a fictional crime show on television.
Calling 911
When the adults saw what was going on, they ran over to the children. Connor’s father ran over to help his son, only to discover that his son had it all under control. Alyssa’s father was panicking at the thought of his little girl being buried alive, but he managed to call 911. By the time the paramedics arrived, Alyssa was awake. Her father had her lay on the beach until the paramedics arrived. When they did, they told the parents that if Connor didn’t act when he did, the story wouldn’t have had a happy ending.
Alyssa’s Recovery
Alyssa was taken to the local hospital for a thorough exam and observation. She was feeling fine by the time the ambulance pulled up at the hospital. She even told the doctors that she was feeling good, regardless of what had happened to her.
Connor Is Honored
When word of Connor’s heroic act got out, he became a local celebrity. The Mayor of Mariana, Bruce Delgado heard about what Connor did that day at the beach. Like everyone, he was impressed by the boy’s bravery and confidence. He announced that Connor would be honored during the next council meeting.
Teaching Children CPR
This story is a wake-up call for parents and teachers. Children should learn CPR just in case they are in a situation like Connor and they need to save the life of another child. Alyssa is lucky that Connor paid attention when he watched NCIS. If he hadn’t, Alyssa wouldn’t be here today.
A True Hero
Alyssa and her family believe that Connor is a true hero. Her father says that they will always remember him as the boy who saved his daughter’s life. Connor gave Alyssa the greatest gift in the world. Her life. This is a story that truly had a happy ending.
