A boy in Kingston, Oklahoma, saw his mom having a medical emergency in their pool and took swift action that saved her life.
Gavin Keeney was already aware that his mother suffered from seizures so when he heard a lot of splashing, he jumped into the water and grabbed hold of her, KTEN reported Friday.
Surveillance footage showed the moment he swam across the pool and put his arms around his mother. She appeared rigid as the child moved her back toward the ladder.
Once they reached it, Gavin pulled himself up while still holding on to his mom in an effort to keep her head above the water:
According to Global News, their dogs alerted the woman’s father who lives nearby.
A few moments later, the man was seen running towards the pair and getting into the water to hold on to the distressed woman.
On Tuesday, Gavin received a Saving a Life plaque. Kingston Police Chief Kasey Cox said officials wanted to surprise him to “let him know that he is a hero.”
According to the boy’s mother, Lori Keeney, the episodes were something he has helped with before.
“Truly amazing thing to see, and I don’t normally get to see him in action and what he gets to do after I’m having a seizure,” she said.
In a Facebook post on August 5, Keeney shared the video and praised her son, writing, “Thank you God for putting this wonderful little human into my life.”
According to Gavin, it was the second Saving a Life plaque he received; the first one was to recognize his actions when his mother was choking.
At that time, he tried performing the Heimlich maneuver but eventually had to call 911 for help.
This week, social media users praised the boy for his bravery during the seizure episode, one person telling Keeney, “That’s awesome, your son is a true hero, and you should be proud how he responded in the situation.”
“Wow! Just WOW! You have raised an amazing young boy! Thank God for him!” another user commented.