CHANDLER, AZ (AZFamily) — A Perry High School Sophomore, Gabe Castro, is being hailed a hero after taking what he learned in school and using it to save a person’s life.
Castro is part of the HOSA Sports Medicine Club, where he’s been taking classes for less than a year.
“It’s definitely one of my harder classes. Health is really hard. But I like the class a lot. It’s definitely one of my favorites I’ve had,” he said.
He told Arizona’s Family that he loves hands-on learning. He learned CPR, a skill he recently used over winter break while working at a golf course.
Castro said a man sitting at the restaurant went into cardiac arrest. He heard the man gasping for air before he fell back on his chair.
“I wouldn’t say I was nervous or anything. I was like immediately locked in,” he said.
Castro jumped into action and started performing CPR. He said an AED machine wasn’t nearby, so he was performing manual compressions for about five minutes before someone brought the AED. Castro worked on the man for a total of 12 minutes before he was conscious again.
“He took that breath, and I took that breath too. The adrenaline that hits you just keeps you going cause I took a breath and got so tired. It gases you out,” said Castro.
His actions earned him the “And Then Some Award” at a Chandler Unified School District board meeting.
“I just try to be humble about it. Glad I was there at the right time,” he said.
Castro said the man whose life he saved stopped by the golf course about two weeks after the incident. He thanked Castro, hugged him and offered him money to show his gratitude, but he respectfully did not take it.
“Obviously, you should reward people for doing the right thing, but I feel like that’s something you shouldn’t be rewarded to do. It’s just basic human decency to do that,” said Castro.
He hopes more people will have an AED at home and learn CPR.
If you’re interested in learning how to do CPR, the American Red Cross offers training courses across the Valley.
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