Training pays off!

The Parachute medic team was asked to prepare and deliver emergency oxygen usage training to all Texas Parks & Wildlife officers as part of a new initiative.  TPW was the recipient of funding for the new equipment, which they received from Grainger.  We provided the training and answered questions during our sessions.  Amazingly, the training and equipment were put to good use quickly; our TPW contact shared this with us:

We have had a number of events all across the state where this oxygen kits have been instrumental in life saving. I want to again thank you for your work in this space. We continue to move forward and I continue to champion the need for more first responders to get this life saving equipment.  I want to share this with you, since you are a part of this story. 

Cody Jones
Asst. Commander
Boating Law Administrator
Law Enforcement Division
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

AUSTIN— Thanks to funding provided by state lawmakers during the last legislative session, 500 Texas Game Wardens and Texas State Park Police Officers across Texas have been trained and equipped with emergency first aid and oxygen kits to help them respond to drownings and other emergencies. This newest addition to law enforcement’s arsenal came in handy recently when a five-year-old boy was rescued from a well in Starr County.

“Texas Game Wardens are always ready to serve those in need and are grateful for the collaborative efforts on that evening between state and local agencies that resulted in the successful rescue of a young child,” said Col. Chad Jones, Law Enforcement Director at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

At 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 8, Starr County dispatch received a 911 call about a child who had fallen into a well on a ranch. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Game Wardens, were dispatched to the scene. When they arrived, they saw the child, a five-year-old boy, was stuck in the well facing upward with his hands above his head. The boy’s hands were secured and stabilized, and game wardens utilized their emergency air tanks to supply fresh oxygen to the child until larger tanks were available. The boy was rescued around 10:30 p.m. and was flown to the McAllen Medical Center responsive and alert with no visible injuries. As of this afternoon, the boy was reported to be at the hospital for observation in stable condition.