A toddler’s life was saved by an EMT last week after she stopped breathing during a Christmas parade in central Florida.
Elena Brower, then one-year-old, was with her family on a float in the Havendale Christmas Parade in Winter Haven when concerned onlookers flagged down her parents to report that something was amiss.
Her eyes had a bright, crimson hue. Their veins were bursting to the surface. Something was changing the color of her lips. Kerstin Brower, the girl’s mother, told NBC station WFLA-TV that her daughter was clearly suffering from a lack of oxygen.
Nothing the family tried to induce Elena to start breathing again worked for many minutes. Dustin Bovill, a special operations paramedic with Polk County Fire Rescue, saw the float and volunteered to aid despite being off duty.
A confident “I know what I’m doing, I can assist her,” he says. It was only an instant thought: “Can I trust this stranger with my child’s life right now?” What do you think? As Kerstin Brower put it.
Bovill smacked Elena on the back softly, and the baby started breathing again. A rescue vehicle arrived, and the paramedic waited with the kid until it was examined.
Anthony Brower, Elena’s father, stated, “I would simply want him to know he saved Elena’s life.”
When it comes to him, I have no words. I don’t know what else to say,” Kerstin Brower remarked.
After what happened, Bovill kept in touch with the family.
“I am proud to work with the outstanding people that make up our team. This crew pulls their weight both on and off the clock. Dr. Hezedean Smith, the new head of Polk County Fire Rescue, expressed his satisfaction at his new role.
