A 16-year-old boy saved his family after his dad had a heart attack while driving them home from a trip in Massachusetts.
Last month, Robbie Gomes was driving when he suddenly slumped over the wheel on Route 9, his son Joshua told NBC affiliate WJAR.
Robbie had been driving in the left lane. His wife was in the front passenger seat, and Joshua and his sister were in the back. When Robbie had the medical emergency, the car began drifting toward the center guardrail. Joshua quickly acted, jumped from the back seat, and straightened the steering wheel.
“I picked up his leg from the floor and moved it onto the brake, and we slowly stopped,” Joshua said.
After they safely stopped on the side of the road, Joshua flagged down other drivers for help, while his mom called 911.
Joshua and some drivers got Robbie out of the car and onto the ground. Joshua performed CPR on his dad for several minutes until the ambulance arrived. At one point, he noticed his dad had no pulse.
Robbie later told WJAR, “With him doing CPR so quickly and keeping me alive until the ambulance came, he saved my life.” Joshua had learned CPR at school just the semester before. “If I was alone, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
Robbie can’t remember the event clearly. He stayed in the hospital for 10 days and had surgery to get a pacemaker.
Now recovered, Robbie said he will never forget how his son saved his life.
