May 30, 2006
Albany -- An Albany child who nearly drowned is alive today thanks to his friend's quick-thinking great-grandparents. Lillian and Jimmie Johnson revived a boy after he was pulled off the bottom of their pool Sunday.
Their 11-year-old great grandson Kenyatta Shelton says that saved the life of his best friend, Courtney Adams. "We jumped in on the deep end. I came back up and swam to the shallow end. And Courtney didn't come back up."
The Johnsons' rule is that an adult always has to be by the pool when kids swim, and their daughter Davetta was there. "She swam down there and got him out. I tried to help them get him up on the side," said Kenyatta Shelton.
Courtney was not breathing when they got him out of the pool. Jimmie Johnson, for 27 years a combat medic in the Army, and his wife Lillian, both have C.P.R. training, and knew what to do.
Lillian Johnson said, "I never thought that I would get to use it, or need to use it. But for the training that I had I thank God that I was able to get him to breathe."
Firefighters say the boy would not have survived if the Johnson's had not performed C.P.R. "Especially if you are a pool owner, everyone should be C.P.R. qualified, because the C.P.R. saved his life," Jimmie Johnson said.
The Johnson's other rules, no swimming for an hour after eating, never swim alone, and an adult must be by the pool, supervising at all times when kids are in the water.
The Johnsons say this Memorial Day was not a tragic one, because they strictly enforce pool safety at their house. And they hope this reminds all South Georgians to do the same.
Courtney Adams returned home from the hospital this morning, and is doing fine.
Lillian Johnson has decided to take a C.P.R. refresher course, to make sure she knows all the latest life saving tips.
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