'Can't Just Leave Her There': 12-Year-Old Saves Toddler's Life With Skills Learned On YouTube
FAIRFIELD (CBS13) — A Fairfield 12-year-old saved a toddler's life but it's where she learned the life-saving skill that may surprise some. Tamaiah Massot loves the pool at her apartment complex but it isn't where she learned how to swim. It's where she got her feet wet in CPR. Tamaiah saw a two-year-old face down in the water and the little girl wasn't responding.
"I gave her chest compressions over there," said Tamaiah. "She wasn't too far away, she was like in the middle."
Clothes and all, Tamaiah didn't hesitate to jump in.
"I wasn't thinking about like if I was scared or not. I was just like I'm going to save this child's life because she's in danger and I can't just leave her there," said Tamaiah.
The move made Tamaiah a pre-teen hero earning her multiple awards in the two months since.
"The police chief or somebody was going to give her an award and then Northgate was like well we want to give her an award and then the fire chief was like well we want to give her an award and then the attorney general so they all just wanted to honor her," said her mom Elizabeth Noel.
But where she learned how to save lives might surprise you.
"I was just on YouTube and I saw it on my recommended and I was like might as well you never know when you'll need it. I'll probably never need it and I needed it," said Tamaiah.
She needed it and her Mom learned sometimes house rules go out the window.
"Don't be behind the screen too much and then well, you know, depending on the kid, sometimes it's not so bad," said Elizabeth.
A true hero at twelve years old with all the accolades to prove it. But it's pretty obvious what the biggest reward of all is.
"It makes me feel relieved even now that she's safe and alive and it makes me feel good inside that I saved her life," said Tamaiah.