Photo assignment for 1859 Oregon’s Magazine.
Stories about heroic members of the EMS community are not uncommon. It’s their job to be courageous; doing what it takes to save the lives of people in distress and the rest of us are unspeakably grateful for their work. However, even in a community where heroism is the standard, there are those who by fate or fortune, find themselves in a class all their own.
Bob Hood, 20 year veteran and chief of the Bandon Fire & Rescue Team is one of those few.
In August of 2016, Hood found himself diving underneath a capsized vessel and pulling out a young boy who had been trapped under water for half an hour. He jettisoned his heavy scuba gear and lifted the child on top of the upside down boat and performed CPR. After being airlifted to a hospital and a total of 1.5 hours of CPR, the boy lived and amazingly, due to the cold water, is not suffering brain damage despite the long period under water.
CPR. On a child. On top of an upside down boat, in rough seas.
