PEF regional coordinator, husband rescue drowning boy

By DEBORAH A. MILES
When PEF Region 11 Coordinator Jemma Marie-Hanson, a nurse, and her husband, Keith, went to visit family in Trinidad in early April, little did they know their vacation would turn into a rescue mission.
“We were at Macueripe Bay beach where my husband went snorkeling. He was out very far,” Hanson said. “I was getting concerned. Then a woman who was standing on the beach started screaming at the top of her lungs.

“I saw my husband dive into the water. I knew he was in trouble or someone else was in trouble.”
The woman who had been screaming, Christine Villafana, told Hanson her son jumped into a deep area of the ocean off the pier with other children. He did not know how to swim.

The other children were trying to get the attention of Keith Hanson, and pointed to the boy who was floating face down.

Keith Hanson went down again, and came up with the boy. Hanson flipped him over, and water gushed from the boy’s mouth. Hanson got him back to shore, where they started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

“It was so scary,” Jemma Hanson said. “It was so surreal. I did compressions and Keith did mouth-to-mouth. This boy had about two gallons of water in him. We did about six rounds of CPR, then he finally took a gasp of breath. He was still unconscious. We put him in a recovery position, and waited for the ambulance to come. I just kept telling him, ‘You are not going to die today.’”

The beach had no access road, so when the ambulance arrived, Keith Hanson and others carried the boy to the ambulance.

The Hansons followed the boy to the hospital, where he recovered. He is 15-years-old and his name is Stefon Villafana.

Stefon and his mother profusely thanked the Hansons for saving his life. And now, they have become friends, exchange e-mails and have formed a bond to stay in touch.