Aircraft painter saves life thanks to CPR training

  • Published
  • By Jillian Coleman
  • 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Resuscitating an individual can be a pressure-filled situation – no pun intended. Like most people who earn CPR certification, Tinker veteran Harold Isenhower hoped a situation would never present itself where the training and skills he learned were necessary.

An aircraft painter with the 566th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Isenhower received proper CPR training a couple of years ago as a requirement for his current job.

At an event last month, Isenhower, his wife, daughter and her young children were in the backyard of his family home. Isenhower had arrived home from work, while his family was wrapping up the pool activities, when he noticed his 2½-year-old grandson was floating face down in the water.

As toddlers have a tendency to do, the young boy likely was not keen on changing out of his swim trunks and tried to sneak back into the pool, just 10 feet away from where three adults stood.

It happened so fast.

“Not five seconds had passed,” said Isenhower, who turned around to see his grandson in the pool.

Without hesitation, Isenhower jumped in for the rescue, pulling the toddler – unresponsive and purple – onto the pavement and began performing chest compressions. After a couple rounds of compressions and mouth-to-mouth, his grandson began coughing up water.

Paramedics were already on the way and the boy was transported from their home in Pink to The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City to ensure no edema or brain damage occurred as a result of the lack of oxygen. Today, the young boy, strong as ever, still plays happily with his toys and enjoys time in the pool – though Isenhower said they’re more cautious to jump right back in.

“We’ve since put gates with a sounding alarm around the pool,” he explained. His grandson may have no recollection of the incident, but it’s something his family won’t ever forget. For Isenhower, he’s just thankful he was equipped to handle the situation.

“A test is easy, if you know the answers,” Isenhower said. “It’s different when you’re applying that in a real-life situation. I could just hear the instructor’s voice in my head and everything was in slow motion.”

Isenhower’s first-line supervisor, Richard Lambert, along with the rest of his leadership, expressed tremendous pride over their employee.

“I wasn’t surprised at all that he jumped into action and took care of business. It wouldn’t have mattered if it was his grandson or someone he’d never seen before, he would’ve done it no matter what,” Lambert said. “I have been his supervisor and known him for quite a while and he’s just a really great guy – trustworthy, dependable and everything you ask for in an employee.”

For Isenhower, it’s not about him or what he did. Thankfully there was a positive outcome, but he hopes such an incident will motivate more people to get CPR certified.

“You never dream to use it, but you sure are glad you have it.”