Brad Mauzy, engineering supervisor at WVU Medicine Grant Memorial Hospital, proved that one doesn’t have to work in the emergency room to save a life.
While vacationing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, this summer, Mauzy, a dedicated GMH employee of 23 years, was relaxing with his family when he noticed two young boys drifting farther out into the ocean than seemed safe. The riptides were especially strong that day, and when the boys began waving their arms frantically for help, Mauzy’s instincts kicked in.
“I saw one of the boys disappear beneath the waves,” he recalled.
Without hesitation, he and another beachgoer jumped into the surf and swam toward the boys. He was the first to reach them and immediately began searching for the missing child beneath the surface. He located the boy, but the powerful waves pulled them apart. On a second dive, he managed to get hold of him again.
In a desperate attempt to expel the water the boy had inhaled, Mauzy pressed hard on his chest. “Water sprayed from his nose and mouth like a whale,” he said. The boy gasped and then lost consciousness.
By then, a lifeguard had arrived. Mauzy took the rescue buoy, positioned it under the boy, and together, they brought him to shore. A team of lifeguards immediately began CPR and successfully revived the young swimmer. According to the lifeguards, Mauzy’s quick chest compression is what made the difference.
Though Mauzy remains humble about his actions, saying he just did what anyone would do, his colleagues at GMH couldn’t be more proud. His bravery and quick thinking are a powerful reminder that lifesaving care doesn’t always happen inside hospital walls.
