Page 10 - The Dispatch Febuary 2017

TEXAS MILITARY DEPARTMENT
TEXAS AIRMAN REVIVES

DROWNING CHILD

Story & Photos by Tech. Sgt. Mindy Bloem
149th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO - LACKLAND, Texas -- The life-
less little body lay on a hot pool deck. His eyes were bulg-
ing and partially rolled back in his head. His face was blue
but he was grayish and bloated everywhere else.

His body felt cold and squishy and he was not breathing.
This was the scene painted by Maj. Eric Hoopes, the com-
mander of the 149th Fighter Wing’s Detachment 1. He
remembers leaning over the side of the pool and looking
down at the boy who was stretched out, feet first in front
of him. He began slapping the motionless feet and count-
ing compressions aloud for the women who had gotten to
work performing resuscitation techniques.
Maj. Eric Hoopes, commander of the 149th Fighter Wing’s
“A thought crossed my mind: What if we can’t save him?” Detachment 1, Texas Air National Guard, controls the flight
he remembered thinking fleetingly. “But I had to block at Yankee Range, Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas.
that off real quick,” he said. “There was no giving up on (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Mindy Bloem)
this boy until help arrived.”
step and up and do what it takes to get things done.”
The days leading up to this scene were relatively unevent-
ful for Hoopes and his family. This past September, they Hoopes counted out compressions for the women and be-
had planned a weekend family camping trip. They packed, gan rallying the crowd into action. He told his wife Tara to
gassed up the RV and headed to the camp grounds. Once call 9-1-1. He directed a couple others to get buckets of
there, they spotted a pool and decided to go for a family water to dump onto the hot deck where the boy was lying.
swim.
“The deck was about 150 degrees, so this boy is just cook-
Hoopes was in the shallow end with his two sons when he ing,” he said, remembering concerning details of the day.
felt something hit his feet. “I also had people stand over him to give him shade.”

The object at his feet was a pair of goggles. Hoopes said his main goal was to direct the crowd and
coach the women so they could focus on their resuscita-
He held up the goggles and asked the crowd of swimmers tion efforts.
if anyone had lost them.
While looking down at the lifeless boy, Hoopes noticed
An 11-year-old girl claimed them and resumed her swim- some things that only served to strengthen his resolve.
ming.
“He was wearing the same suit as my son and was about
The little girl soon surfaced and announced that there was the same age and size,” he said. “His naval cavity was dis-
a little boy at the bottom of the pool not moving. tended and he looked clinically dead. It just caused a flood
of emotions that spurred me to try even harder. I thought
That’s when Hoopes and a pair of medically-trained wom- we have to do this. We have to save him.”
en sprang into action.
After what felt like hours to him, but was actually between
The women placed the child on the side deck of the pool only 50 and 75 seconds, the boy’s hand twitched. After
and began life-saving measures. two more seconds, he vomited and took his first breath.

“I’m really grateful for my military training which I think “It wasn’t a big deep breath like you might think,” Hoopes
helped me keep a cool head,” he said. “We are taught to said. “It was a shallow breath then he let out a moanish
10 TheDISPATCH FEBRUARY 2017