Tulsa Lifeguard Honored For Saving Boy From Drowning

EMSA awarded one of its Everyday Hero awards to a lifeguard at Chandler Park on Tuesday. Her quick actions saved a boy from drowning.

Dignitaries, family and friends gathered at Chandler Park pool to celebrate an Everyday Hero. Lifeguard Lindsey Schwager got the award for saving 11-year-old Matthew Pete.

He could have drown, but didn't because of Lindsey's quick actions.

"What is most important to me, is that Matthew is OK and is doing awesome," Lindsey said.

A couple of weeks ago Matthew was at Chandler Park for a church picnic and party. He went down the slide into the deep end.

He's never been in the deep end before, so he didn't know how deep it was.

"I couldn't swim back up 'cause I don't know how to swim," Matthew said.

Lindsey is a veteran of five summers at the pool. Kids, she says, are always fooling around, but this was different.

"It didn't look normal, then he floated to his stomach. I said, 'oh, that's not normal,' so I just got down and went and got him," the lifeguard said.

She pulled him out of the water and got him breathing again. When EMSA paramedic Joshua Choate arrived with the ambulance, he realized Lindsey had saved this young boy's

life.

"Even 5-10-15 seconds later, this story could have been a lot different," Choate said.

But it wasn't, because a 20-year-old lifeguard reacted perfectly, got a standing ovation and a award for her work, and a very grateful mother had a chance to say thank you.

"Lindsey, thank you so much you gave me back my baby, thanks you so much for your quick thinking and quick actions," said Eugenia, Matthew's mom.

Matthew says they have a big family trip planned next week, but as soon as they get back, he's taking some swimming lessons.