Bridon and Christian, two young boys, had only seen first aid gestures in films. At 10, they nevertheless managed to save their father from drowning!
This June 14, 2022, a little blond boy soaked from head to toe waves on the side of the road in Mountain Brook. A car stops. “My dad is drowning in our swimming pool! Please call for help. We don’t have a phone!” A few minutes earlier, Brad Hassig, 46, was swimming in the water of his swimming pool. The father, a chiropractor like his wife, Lori, took his day to spend time with their sons Bridon and Christian, fraternal twins.
That afternoon, the two 10-year-old boys were playing in the garden with their friend Sam. “We had some music on the speakers and I was doing underwater breathing exercises to relax,” says dad. But suddenly, he loses consciousness… in the swimming pool. “However, I neither pushed my limits nor did exercises at the Navy Seals [les forces spéciales de la marine de guerre américaine, NDLR].“Playing beside the pool, the boys quickly notice their father’s unusual position.
“In a panic, I decided to do what I had seen on the screen”
“Dad is not well!” Bridon yells at his brother. Christian takes the plunge. “According to my son Christian, I was shaking and my head was turning blue,” testifies the father of the family. “It was very scary,” recalls the frail boy who calls his beefier brother for help. Together, they manage to pull him up the pool stairs and hoist him onto the curb. Without a phone, Christian runs to alert the neighbors, but this Tuesday afternoon, there is not a soul alive. It is a motorist, whom he has the presence of mind to challenge, who calls for help.
During this time, Bridon is not inactive and begins resuscitation gestures on his father. The young boy remembers seeing them in two films, Hook and The Champions Gang, that he and his brother have watched many times. “In a panic, I decided to do what I had seen on the screen, first tilting my father’s head back, then doing chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth as best I could,” says the child. While Christian, back at his side, begins a plea: “Dad, come back! You have to be well.”
“I tell my sons that they are my heroes. I will be forever grateful to them”
Miracle, Brad suddenly regains consciousness and violently coughs up blood and water. The paramedics arrive at the same time. Direction the hospital, where the father of the family is immediately admitted to intensive care. He will come out the next day with a diagnosis of hypoxia. (lack of oxygen in organs and tissues), pulmonary edema and shortness of breath. Mountain Brook Police held a decoration ceremony for the three boys and presented them with Lifesaving Medals “for their heroic actions in saving the life of a family member from drowning in their home.”
Nearly a month after his accident, Brad still struggles to catch his breath and frequently feels tired, but he is much better. And above all, he is very proud of his boys and their friend Sam. life now.”