Carson City Aquatic Center staff to receive award for saving boy's life

Care Flight will present the Carson Aquatic Facility and staff an acknowledgement of their exceptional life saving work at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the pool, 841 N. Roop St. Care Flight will fly in for the presentation.

In October, Care Flight was dispatched to Carson Tahoe Medical Center on a call for a cardiac arrest. At the aquatic center, the scene of the incident, lifeguards were using the facility's automated external defibrillator and administering CPR to an 11-year-old boy. The lifeguards and Carson City Fire Department, using advanced life support procedures and medications, were able to restore a pulse and transported the boy to Carson Tahoe Medical Center.

Care Flight arrived at the medical center and transported the youth to the Pediatric ICU at Renown Regional Medical Center.

The outcome was positive and the patient survived thanks to the quick, decisive actions and care of the Carson pool staff, fire department, and medical center staff.

"These public safety entities deal with trauma and medical emergencies on a regular basis," said Kurt Althof, public relations manager with Care Flight. "Pool lifeguards are well trained and capable, but it is rare that their CPR skills get put to the test in a real life or death situation," he said.

Pool Director Kurt Meyer said he was pleased with the outcome.

"We regularly train for this type of incident, but such a situation is not a typical day-to-day occurrence," Meyer said. "I'm extremely proud of the way our staff handled such a critical situation."