Two Volusia County lifeguards performed CPR on a 5-year-old boy who was pulled from the ocean unresponsive at Silver Beach on July 30. Lifeguard Dempsey Manhart was preparing for his lunch break when the child's family flagged him down for assistance. He began moving the boy toward shore when his colleague, Mackenzie Malone, arrived. Malone checked for a pulse, and upon finding none, the lifeguards immediately began administering CPR.
Malone, who is in her fourth summer as a lifeguard, described the rescue as her first time saving a drowning child. She noted that lifeguards are trained to expect emergencies and know how to respond to various scenarios. Upon seeing the child was unconscious and had a head wound, she knew the situation was serious.
Shortly after the lifeguards began CPR, the boy started breathing on his own. Malone attributed the positive outcome to her life-saving training. "I’m just very grateful that [with] everything we followed, it worked out and that [the boy] actually is able to have a life and come home to a family," she told FOX 35 Orlando.
The lifeguards hope this incident serves as a reminder for beachgoers to swim near staffed lifeguard towers for immediate assistance. Volusia County is located about 50 miles northeast of Orlando, Florida. The National Weather Service advises swimmers caught in a rip current to swim parallel to the shoreline until they escape the current, then angle back toward shore, rather than fighting the current directly. If unable to escape, they should float or tread water and signal for help.
This incident occurred as strong ocean waves and powerful tides continue to pose challenges for beachgoers. In a separate event this summer, Los Angeles County lifeguards performed nearly 2,000 ocean rescues over a single weekend due to elevated surf and dangerous rip currents along Southern California beaches. Officials encourage visitors to consult with lifeguards about ocean conditions before entering the water.