Brandon Prentiss, 19, is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of Caleb Huntington. Brandon is a lifeguard, and is trained in CPR, but he never thought he’d use his skills to save someone in an apartment building. He was visiting a friend when Huntington’s heart stopped.
Caleb was in the elevator on his way down to the lobby to meet his friend, Meng Howe Lim, when his heart stopped. Lim tried to perform CPR but couldn’t, and called 911. Gary Dougherty, one of Caleb’s neighbors, also tried to perform CPR while also sending Lim to get Brandon, who he knew could actually help.
“My instincts took over,” Brandon says of the ordeal. “I wasn’t really thinking anything.”
Brandon’s CPR was so working so well that medics told him to keep going while they prepped the defibrillator.They shocked Huntington’s chest and immediately took him to hospital. After five days in a medically induced coma, he’s now undergoing rehabilitation.
About five days later, they brought him out of an induced coma. He is now undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. Caleb is of course eternally grateful to Brandon – it’s a remarkable coincidence that Brandon was there that day and knew exactly what to do. Now, Caleb and Brandon are strongly encouraging everyone to become CPR certified just in case they find themselves in a similar situation one day.
