I never dreamed that I would be in a position to use CPR on someone. But I was wrong.

It was a hot, summer Sunday morning. Some friends and I camped out by the lake the night before. That following Sunday morning we cooked our breakfast and talked about what our plans would be for the day.

We strolled down by a popular swimming hole as we discussed what we would do. The water was low from the drought we were experiencing.

A group of people in their early 20's were having some early morning fun, swimming and drinking.

Then we noticed a commotion. One of them had dove headfirst into the swimming hole, and because the water was low, he had inadvertently landed on his head on a big rock, lying beneath the low water line.

We saw the partiers drag their friend out in their drunken stupors. We watch in amazement as they 'argued' about what to do.

One of the people with us was a dental assistant who had been trained and certified in CPR. She and I ran down to the swimming hole and up to the victim, who was beginning to turn blue from lack of oxygen.

His friends were too drunk to help him so I yelled: "Hey! This lady knows CPR. Get out of the way and she can help him!"

When she saw the young man suffocating, she froze with panic. I asked her if she was okay while the drunks taunted her.

My instincts kicked in. I dropped to my knees beside the victim and hollered, "Tell me what to do!" I had no idea how to even start CPR!

She guided me through the process while some of our other friends went to get help.

Long story short--we saved his life. But had my friend not been there, I don't think that guy would have been so lucky.

Since that episode, I've taken classes in CPR. I've learned what I needed to learn in case it happens again and there's no one to guide me.

It's important to learn the basics of CPR. Your help could be needed at a playground, in a church, at a swimming hole.

What if it's a family member? If you're a parent, it's essential that you know CPR.

Contact your local Red Cross to find out how you can learn and if they have any classes available.

You could also check out this website, which is a great online source to learn CPR. You can also take a short quiz and get certified online. Go to: http://www.firstaidweb.com/

For CPR on infants and children, go to: http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/infantcpr.html

Remember:

FACT: Your brain can survive 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen.

FACT: It may take 6 to 8 minutes to get an ambulance.

You could be called on to save someone's life. You never know.

by Ronnie Kimball - ? 2005

Ronnie Kimball is a co-publisher of REACH HIGHER, The Good NewsLetter. To get the Good NewsLetter and hear samples of Ronnie's CD, REACH HIGHER, go to: http://www.reachhigher.com