6-Year Old Rescues Baby Brother
Boy being sucked under in jacuzzi saved by smarts of 6-year-old brother
Julio Marin is truly his brother's keeper.
Somebody run and get Julio Marin his Boy Scout Hero badge. He's earned it.
The 6-year-old rescued his drowning 5-year-old brother, Miguel, Tuesday night after Miguel's arm got stuck in a pipe in the family's jacuzzi. Police officers and Miguel's family were no match for the suction power of the pipe in the jacuzzi as Miguel's head was continually pulled under water.
But Julio, who watches his dad work on the jacuzzi all the time, knew how to stop the pumps.
"The real miracle was his brother, " said Marla, the two boy's mother. "I wouldn't know how to shut it off."
Police did CPR on Miguel and eventually the boy coughed up the water.
Fire rescue officials rushed the boy to Memorial Regional Hospital in Miramar where he was treated and then transferred him to Joe DiMaggio's Children's Hospital for further observations. Miguel is recovering quite nicely.
His arm was sucked into the pipe all the way to the shoulder and it's still feeling the effects of his harrowing experience. Scars around his wrist show just how powerful the suction from the jacuzzi was.
"I wasn't trying to get stuck," Miguel explained while he played with his brother and rescuer Julio, who we don't expect will let him live down the experience any time soon.
"I saved my brother's life," Julio said with a smile.
Posted Tuesday, Jul 14, 2009 - 1:09 AM EST
