Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris happened to be the unlikely hero this past weekend, as he helped save a child who was drowning in a Las Vegas pool.
Morris was at the Encore Las Vegas with his family when he saw a young boy drowning in the hotel pool. The boy's father pulled him out of the water and brought him to a lifeguard, who began performing CPR. Morris rushed over to help and asked where the AED was. He retrieved the AED and gave it to a doctor on the scene, who used it to shock the boy's heart. The boy was taken to the hospital and released 24 hours later.
Morris credited the Rams' recent CPR, AED, and first aid training–headed by Reggie Scott, the team's vice president of sports medicine and performance–for helping him know what to do. He said that he is thankful that he was able to help save the boy's life.
“I'm just thankful I knew what to do,” Raheem Morris said, per ESPN. “You just never know when you're going to need that stuff.”
When an individual is experiencing cardiac arrest, an AED analyzes the heart's rhythm and delivers an appropriate electrical shock to restore the heart to its regular state. AEDs have become more prevalent after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during a game in January. Hamlin himself spoke at a recent event on Capitol Hill in support of the Access to AEDs Act.
Raheem Morris mentioned how Hamlin's situation, as well as the recent tragic drowning of Bucs linebacker Shaquil Barrett's 2-year-old daughter, has helped increase awareness and preparedness among coaches and players for those unforeseen moments–such as the one Morris encountered in Las Vegas.
With the NFL season on the horizon, Morris and the Rams will definitely need to be ready for anything that comes up. It's not just limited to what happens on the field, but also about keeping everyone safe.
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