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CFD Engine crew honored for saving child from drowning

By October 1, 2018No Comments

Columbia-Richland Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins recognized five members of CFD’s Second Shift for actions they took to save the life of a 2-year-old boy over the summer.

(from left to right) CFD Battalion Chief Daniel Lowery, Engineer Michael LeGrand, Senior Firefighter D.J. Watson, Firefighter Caleb Jacobs & Firefighter Mark O’Donnell.

Battalion Chief Daniel Lowery, Engineer Michael LeGrand, Senior Firefighter D.J. Watson, Firefighter Caleb Jacobs and Firefighter Mark O’Donnell all received certificates of merit on the afternoon of October 1, 2018. The awards were pressented by Chief Jenkins himself at CFD Station 2.

Back on July 15 the crew responded to an apartment complex on Whaley Street in Columbia after a call came in that a child had nearly drowned there.

Battalion Chief Lowery arrived on the scene first where he found the boy lying unresponsive in a chair by the complex pool. At that point he quickly began pounding on the child’s back to get him to start breathing.

Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins presents Firefighter Caleb Jacobs with a certificate of recognition.

LeGrand, Watson, Jacobs and O’Donnell all were working on Engine 2 that day and arrived seconds later.

“They did great,” Battalion Chief Lowery said of the crew, “there wasn’t no hesitation.”

The Engine 2 team then began to clear the child’s airway. By the time EMS arrived the boy was beginning to regain consciousness.

The child was later identified as 2-year-old William ‘Isaiah’ Maggiacomo. After being taken from the scene he was admitted to an area hospital where he made a full recovery.

His grandmother Pam Thompson thanked the CFD crew for their life-saving work.

“I think it took till Thursday of that week and by Friday he was running again,” Thompson said of her grandson, “He’s doing wonderful. He’s just full of energy.”

Thompson added that she hopes to visit the team in the near future to offer her thanks in person.