Children, Lifeguards Honored for Saving Life of 3-Year-Old Boy

Two young children and several lifeguards from the Chesterfield Aquatic Center have been given a hero’s honors for their role in helping save the life of a young boy who nearly drowned earlier this summer.

Sidney Gebhardt, 8, and Alex Osten, 6, along with lifeguards Kaleigh Jurgensmeyer, Meghan Grass and John Logan, were presented with the citizen’s lifesaving awards from the Monarch Fire Protection District at a Aug. 1 meeting of its board of directors.

The City of Chesterfield also honored the group and another two lifeguards, Kelsey Edwards and Ashley Boesch, with official proclamations recognizing their roles in helping prevent the possible tragedy at a meeting Aug. 5.

Swift Action Helps Save a Life

On July 20, Sidney and Alex were enjoying a day swimming at the Chesterfield Aquatic Center when they noticed something that didn’t seem right.

Another young child, a 3-year-old boy, was floating face down in the pool. When Alex reached out to touch him, he sunk lifelessly toward the bottom. Sidney sprang into action, hauling him up to the surface as the two called for help.

“In all likelihood, this quick action save the boy’s life,” said Chesterfield Mayor Bob Nation at the Aug. 5 meeting.

The pool’s lifeguards jumped from their stands and into the water, with Grass reaching them first, followed by Logan, who lifted him out of the water and onto the side of the pool.

They immediately began performing CPR with help from Edwards, while Boesch and Jurgens also retrieved an automatic external defibrillator (AED).

Firefighter/paramedics soon arrived from the Monarch Fire Protection District and took over. While accounts presented by the city and the fire agency differed as to exactly when, the compression and breaths soon forced the boy to cough up water, allowing him to breath on his own once again.

Monarch Public Education Officer Ray Antonacci said that although the parents of the young boy have asked to keep his identity private, they are “grateful for the quick action of the two youngsters and the lifeguards.”