RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
A hot Texas day at the pool could be considered a great way to stay cool when the mercury rises, but for one Randolph Airman a day of relaxation turned into a stressful call to action.
Second Lt. Michael Schroeder, a Combat Systems Officer student from the 562nd Flying Training Squadron had just arrived at his apartment complex pool and was looking for a place to set his things down when he noticed something was just not right.
"I had just arrived at the pool and set my bag down on a lawn chair and when I turned back toward the pool, that's when I noticed two children at the bottom"
Lieutenant Schroeder said he felt something was wrong and looked for the nearest adult to ask if the children were all right or if maybe they were playing a game.
"Are those kids cool?" asked Lieutenant Schroeder.
The nearest adult happened to be the children's father who was looking for them and immediately jumped into the pool to rescue them.
When the father pulled the first child out he was yelling, "He's not breathing, he's not breathing, someone call 911."
Lieutenant Schroeder immediately called 911 and as the kids were pulled out of the water he said they were unresponsive so he began to administer CPR.
After ensuring the first child was breathing, Lieutenant Schroeder instructed another adult to keep him on his side and keep his airway open as he ran toward the second child and repeated the process.
As the second child came around and responded to the CPR, Lieutenant Schroeder said he took a moment to clear his head and think about what to do next. He instructed onlookers to cover the children with towels to keep them warm as everyone kept talking to them to ensure they were breathing and responsive.
Slowly the children began to move, cough and expel the water from their saturated lungs. Within minutes, first responders from Universal City were on the scene and took control of the situation.
Capt. Jeff Vaughn, Universal City Fire Department incident commander, said Lieutenant Schroeder "did exactly what you're supposed to do in that situation. His intervention made all the difference in saving the lives of those children."
Shortly before the children were transported to the hospital the police told him that it appeared they would be all right.
As they ambulance pulled away, Lt. Schroeder said he just stood there in shock about what had just happened and said a prayer before heading back to his apartment.
He attributes his quick response to basic instinct, CPR training in a crisis situation and how he would react if it were his children that were in trouble.
"I wouldn't want anyone to have to go through what went on at the pool that day, so it's important to always know where your children are around water, be safe and don't let a day of fun turn into a nightmare," said Lieutenant Schroeder.