Canton Lifeguards Honored for Swift, Life-Saving Actions

Editor's note: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the livesaving roles of Justin Shannon and Max Mills.

Thanks to the swift and steady actions of five young lifeguards, a 4-year old child has a second chance at life.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, June 21, Summit on the Park lifeguard Matthew Lewis noticed a young boy lying motionless on the opposite end of the leisure pool. He let out a loud whistle blast and dove in from the deep end of the pool to rescue him.

“I just reacted,” the 21-year-old said, adding that he didn’t really have time think, just that he knew he had to get the boy out of the water.

He quickly reached the boy and hauled him onto the pool deck where fellow lifeguard Justin Shannon was waiting to administer CPR. Shannon cleared the boy’s throat and began chest compressions.

Lifeguard Sorin Oprican also responded and, following Shannon’s instructions, began using a BVM resuscitator, which simulates the administering of mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths.

Meanwhile, lifeguards Amy Zinn and Max Mills — who were on break at the time — had heard the coded whistle blast, and immediately sprang to action. The pair grabbed the pool’s crash pads — a heart defibrillator — and responded to the scene within seconds.

Mills said they immediately put the pads on the child, but did not have to use them.

“All of a sudden, you see his eyes open and he started crying,” he said.

Jeannette Williams, the facility specialist at the Summit, said she also responded upon hearing the loud whistle blast, and that emergency medical responders were on the scene within minutes. She would not release the name of the child, but said that he is recovering.

Canton Township trustees used part of Tuesday's regular meeting to honor the four lifeguards, praising each of them for poise under pressure and deft actions.

Each lifeguard received a certificate of recognition for their efforts. Williams indicated she is proud of her employees.

“We’ve never had anything like this happen before at the Summit in its 15 years,” she said, adding she really believed extensive training for Summit lifeguards helped them be as prepared as possible under the circumstances.