Teen Lifeguard Saves Little Boy 20 Minutes Into His Very First Shift

Teenage lifeguard Jack Viglianco had barely gotten his bearings in his new job when he sprang into action to save a little boy from drowning.

The 15-year-old was just 20 minutes into his first shift at the Charles A. Foster pool in Lakewood, Ohio, on Thursday when he spotted a 4-year-old “bobbing up and down” in the water and yelling for help.

“I realized, ‘Oh shoot! I have to go in and save this kid,’” said Viglianco, who’d only completed his orientation the previous day.

“My training kicked in and I jumped into the water,” he told WKYC-TV. “I grabbed him and pulled him out of the water and probably saved his life.”

The youngster did not require CPR or medical treatment.

Viglianco said his heart was “racing” throughout the rescue, but that it was “a dream come true” to become a lifeguard.

Reflecting on his heroics, he acknowledged that “not many other people can say” they’ve “saved a kid’s life” ― but said he was “glad I have the experience now” and added that “any lifeguard can do this.”