11-Year-Old California Boy Saves Girl’s Life With CPR He Learned Watching ‘NCIS’

An 11-year-old California boy once rescued a 5-year-old girl who was buried inside a sand dune on a beach.

Connor Fitz-Gerald, pointing to the dune, told KSBW that “she was buried right here,” and he saw her head and started digging “where the head” was.

The boy has no formal training in CPR and reportedly learned the basics from watching television, namely the show, “NCIS,” according to the report.

“I picked her up” and “dragged her up the hill” before she gave the girl CPR, Conner said.

He told reporters that the girl’s body was limp and lifeless, saying there was sand in her mouth. He also saw sand in her eyes and ears.

Parents said the girl, Alyssa Bostic, is lucky to be alive.

Connor, Alyssa, and other children were at Marina Dunes, California, digging sand caves. That’s when the cave collapsed and buried Alyssa for several minutes.

As a result, the girl was rendered unconscious and unable to breathe, according to KSBW.

That’s when Connor rescued her.

Tim Fiz-Gerald said he’s happy that Connor leaped into action despite there not being a parent there for several hundred feet.

The paramedics arrived on the scene to rescue the girl several minutes later.

However, the parents credit the boy for giving her extra time after performing CPR.

Sand dunes in Marina, California, which is located on the Central Coast. (Google Street View)

CPR Steps

According to the Red Cross, even after CPR training, remembering the steps can be difficult.

Before CPR, according to the organization, make sure to:

-Check the scene and the person. Make sure the scene is safe, then tap the person on the shoulder and shout “Are you OK?” to ensure that the person needs help.

-Call 911 for assistance. If it’s evident that the person needs help, call (or ask a bystander to call) 911, then send someone to get an AED. (If an AED is unavailable, or a there is no bystander to access it, stay with the victim, call 911 and begin administering assistance.)

-Open the airway. With the person lying on his or her back, tilt the head back slightly to lift the chin.

-Check for breathing. Listen carefully, for no more than 10 seconds, for sounds of breathing. (Occasional gasping sounds do not equate to breathing.) If there is no breathing begin CPR.

Then, to actually perform CPR, the Red Cross advises:

-Push hard, push fast. Place your hands, one on top of the other, in the middle of the chest. Use your body weight to help you administer compressions that are at least 2 inches deep and delivered at a rate of at least 100 compressions per minute.

-Deliver rescue breaths. With the person’s head tilted back slightly and the chin lifted, pinch the nose shut and place your mouth over the person’s mouth to make a complete seal. Blow into the person’s mouth to make the chest rise. Deliver two rescue breaths, then continue compressions.

-Continue CPR steps. Keep performing cycles of chest compressions and breathing until the person exhibits signs of life, such as breathing, an AED becomes available, or EMS or a trained medical responder arrives on the scene.