Ranger saves life of drowning child

n the afternoon of July 11, at a local resident community pool area, Spc. Luke Smith and some friends were cleaning up after hosting a barbecue with fellow Rangers and their Families.

As they were taking boxes back to their vehicles, Smith and fellow Ranger Sgt. Khali Pegues heard a scream and cry for help. A young child, approximately 6-years-old, had fallen into the pool and drowned.

"We heard a woman scream and some commotion from another party," said Pegues of the 75th Ranger Regiment. "I grabbed Smith to head over there, because I knew he had extensive training in CPR and life-guard saving techniques."

Smith, a native of North East, Maryland, served in the Boy Scouts of America before joining the Army in 2011. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout as well as earning the Life-Saving Merit Badge. Though he is not current according to Boys Scouts of America guidelines, Smith had extensive training in performing CPR.

"We got over there and then I went into a tunnel vision," said Smith of the 75th Ranger Regiment. "As soon as I saw the child, I immediately asked everyone around if anyone was a current life-guard or medical provider. No one responded."

Smith and another Ranger, Sgt. Brian Miller, assessed that the child was unconscious, had no pulse, swollen abdominal region and blue lips, and then immediately begun starting the CPR process. As he began the chest compression, Smith called for the child's father to begin rescue breathing.

He instructed the father to do half-breaths, so the child's lungs would not over expand. After the second cycle of the CPR process, Smith began fearing the worse.

"As I was giving her chest compressions, I was staring her in the face and praying," Smith said. "Please God; let me save this little girl."

It was then during the third cycle of chest compressions and rescue breaths that the child woke up in a jolt. She began to expel water from her system. Smith leaned her forward and began to smack her back to help clear out more water.

Smith, relieved at that point and thankful his prayers had been answered, then turned and looked at the father to say, "she's going to be okay."

 http://www.army.mil/article/152590/Ranger_saves_life_of_drowning_child/