PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Delray Beach firefighter and his son showcased heroism and quick-thinking skills hundreds of miles from home.
WATCH BELOW: 'I truly didn't anticipate having to employ my paramedic skills,' Capt. Jim Bast tells WPTV's Kayla McDermott
Capt. Jim Bast, who has been serving the community since 2007 as a firefighter-paramedic, found himself in a life-threatening situation while hiking in Colorado with his 11-year-old son, Quinn.
While in a parking lot, Bast noticed a 70-year-old man lying on the ground who was not breathing and had no pulse.
"I truly didn't anticipate having to employ my paramedic skills," Bast said.
Quinn quickly jumped into action, urging his father to perform chest compressions.
"My son actually yelled out to start compressions, and I did," Bast recalled.
While his father administered CPR, Quinn sprinted to a nearby brewery to retrieve an automated external defibrillator (AED).
"There was an AED at a brewery right around the corner," Bast said. "My son hauled butt over there, secured an AED, and raced back and had it back in record time."
Thanks to their combined efforts, the AED gave the man a crucial shock to revive him.
Bast noted that doctors indicated the AED was a "vital key" to saving the man's life.
He credited his son's Boy Scout training for his quick thinking during the emergency, emphasizing the importance of the CPR skills they learned.
"For him to witness something that's really unsettling, and still keep his head about him… I'm just incredibly proud," Bast expressed.
Bast's experience serves as a reminder of the impact that training and preparedness can have in critical situations.
