South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguard Hudson Howland was at work in the Santa Rosa Beach area when one of his coworkers began choking. She had been eating during a break and then began signaling that she needed help. She was not able to speak or cough, but fortunately Hudson knew what to do based on the many years he has spent learning CPR and related skills in the Junior Lifeguard Program.
Without hesitating, Hudson came to his coworker’s aid in providing abdominal thrusts in an attempt to clear her airway. After several attempts, he successfully dislodged the food she was choking on and she was able to breathe again without issue.
Hudson’s quick thinking and immediate action speaks so deeply to the purpose behind the SWFD program. They don’t want the Junior Lifeguards to just talk about beach safety, they want them to carry their skills forward wherever they go in life and create positive change. This includes rendering effective “bystander” medical care and feeling empowered to truly make a difference.
We are so proud of Hudson and the knowledge he demonstrated to competently and directly save a life. The SWFD Junior Lifeguard Instructor Cadre was able to recognize him in front of his peers and present him with a Lifesaving Coin for his efforts, courtesy of the SWFD EMS Division.
