Over the summer, two University Liggett School students jumped into action on a European summer school trip, helping perform CPR on a woman.
Mia Pyenta and Gerrit Breekn were sightseeing around Paris over the summer when they got to their last stop at the Eiffel Tower.
While they were there, a woman collapsed at the bottom of the tower, and Mia said they rushed over to see if she was OK.
According to Mia and Gerrit, she had just gotten off the merry-go-round, felt dizzy, and collapsed in front of her daughter, who was screaming for help.
"In Spanish. I was speaking to her a little bit, but I couldn't gather much of what she was saying," Gerrit said. "I did try to tell her to calm down a little in Spanish, so we could help her. We can do CPR."
The woman was not breathing and was pale white. With their advanced training, Mia and Gerrit knew time was everything. Mia quickly did an assessment.
"I checked for a pulse, and breathing, and I also scanned for any other bodily injuries," she said.
Gerrit then started chest compressions.
"We lifted her up onto the bench, on her back, and I just started doing the chest compressions how I was taught, going into the song we learned, which was 'Staying Alive,'" Gerrit said.
Within one minute, the woman became conscious but refused further medical treatment.
"It was a first in my 23 years of teaching," Krite Karolak, a French teacher who was on the trip, said. "I am always proud of the kids."
If you want to learn more about CPR training, visit the Red Cross website.
