Teen saves his brother’s life thanks to a lesson he learned in middle school
By Eric Miller
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WILSON COUNTY, North Carolina (WRAL) — Cody Aliff says he doesn’t know how, but he knew something was wrong.
It was early in the morning on January 2nd. 14-year-old Cody and his older brother, Hunter, were in rural Halifax County, hunting ducks. Then Cody heard a splash.
“I heard a beaver splash originally, whenever we were walking in the swamp,” Cody said. “It just sounded different. So I called for Hunter, and he didn’t answer.”
Cody rushed over to find his brother face down in the water.
“All I could see was waders,” Cody said.
Cody credits God with giving him the strength to pull his brother out, and then to perform CPR on him, he says, for two full minutes
It’s a skill he’d learned just months prior, as part of a class at Springfield Middle School in Wilson County.
“I wasn’t really expecting having to use it, but it was really helpful,” Cody said.
After getting pulled out of the swamp, Hunter was rushed to Wilson Medical Center. He says his brother’s quick thinking saved his life.
“Well, at first, I was still shocked. I didn’t really know what happened, but I did thank him and told him I loved him many times,” Hunter said.
Both brothers say they’re now sharing their story, hoping it will inspire others to get CPR certified.
“We’re very proud of Cody, you know, the fact that he did not freeze. He did what was needed to be done,” said Barbie Aliff, the boy’s mother, and a registered nurse who is herself CPR certified for work.
“Our goal is to just spread awareness. If our story encourages just one person to take CPR, then something good can come from a very scary moment,” Barbie said.
Barbie says the staff at Wilson Medical Center also played a key role in saving her son. She says she’s also incredibly thankful for the outpouring of love and support that’s come from family, friends and the community.
For his part, Hunter says he doesn’t remember how he ended up in the water that day. He says now he’s just thankful for the brother who knew how to step in when the worst happened
“It’s a miracle that I’m still here,” Hunter said.
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