Mason Ochoa, 4, was at home when he saw his younger brother, Nicholas, 2, fall into the garden pool.
Mason, wasting no time, jumped out into the street and ran towards Nicholas. At the pool, he managed to grab the little one by the hand and keep his head above water until the adults came to the rescue.
The boys’ father, José Ochoa, called an ambulance after his wife told him what had happened. The 911 service recorded the call: “My wife just told me that my son fell in the pool, and he is breathing hard, he is crying, but his face is purple…”
Fortunately, thanks to the quick reaction of older brother Nicholas, they got him out of the pool in time, and it was later determined that he was not seriously injured.
The Placentia Fire and Rescue Service noted the heroic actions of a four-year-old boy. He was invited to visit, giving Mason the opportunity to practice with the hose, try out lifesaving tools, and the job of a paramedic. He was presented with a lifeguard uniform and allowed to bandage a senior colleague.
Placentia Fire Chief John Van Gieson noted that a true lifeguard is a calling, so it was decided to award Mason the Hometown Hero award and make him an honorary firefighter and paramedic.
Raul Velez, grandfather of Mason and Nicholas, said they usually had a fence around the pool at home, but it was temporarily taken down…
And this incident should be a warning to other families with little ones. The proud grandfather said Mason learns everything quickly, he can already swim and added: “He is only four years old. He’s my hero. »
Rescuers commented: “Thanks to Mason’s quick action, his brother recovered quickly and is doing well! And the fire chief promised they would be happy to see the boy in their ranks – in 14 years so…
