Hero, 70, rescues two boys from riptide
There is another hero named among us. Charles Schulze–not the famous cartoonist, but a previously unknown citizen from Florida–saved not one, but two, children on Saturday, in exchange for his own life.
Two boys, aged 12 and 9, were caught in a riptide at an unsupervised portion of Pompano Beach, Florida. Riptides are dangerous ocean currents that pull people quickly away from shore. Generally, to escape them you must swim to the side and not towards shore. But Schulze, aged 70, swam out to them and pulled both boys toward the beach, until he could go no further. At that point, concerned spectators on the beach dragged the young swimmers the rest of the way to safety.
But after making sure the boys were alright, the beach goers looked to the water to discover Schulze face-down in the surf. He was pulled to the sand where another man tried to give him CPR until lifeguards from a different portion of the beach arrived. He was then taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. He had drowned. The man who tried to rescue Schulze also swallowed or inhaled some sea water and was being treated for difficulty breathing. According to the Pompano Beach Fire Rescue spokeswoman Sandra King, it was unclear whether Schulze experienced an unrelated medical issue, or if he became overwhelmed by the tide himself.
Among the people watching from shore was Schulze’s girlfriend. I agree with her assessment of the situation. “He’s a hero…He saved the lives of these two boys.” Although it is sad to learn that this brave man died, I am so happy to see news of a person who did a good thing, who risked himself for people he didn’t even know. I wonder how many selfless things that Mr. Schulze did that never got published? And even though Mr. Schulze died–kudos to the other people on the beach who knew CPR and were willing to help.
This reminds me of a few important safety questions for parents:
- If you live near a body of water, do your children know how to swim?
- If you live near the ocean, do they know how to escape a riptide?
- When you go swimming, do you always swim at a supervised beach or pool?
- Are you certified in CPR?
I have been meaning to enroll my 12 year old son in the Red Cross babysitting course that would have him certified in infant CPR–a safety precaution that all of us moms and dads could benefit from.
On a positive note, in honor of Mr. Schulze, do you have a story to tell of an unnamed hero in our midst? Leave a comment that puts a positive spotlight on a good samaritan in your community.
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