– A 21-year-old Breaux Bridge man was honored Thursday by St. Martin Parish Sheriff Becket Breaux for preventing a 9-year-old boy from drowning in late June.
Breaux presented Kayden Hayes of Breaux Bridge with a special Life Saving Award during a ceremony Thursday. The Sheriff’s Office received multiple calls on Friday, June 26, at about 12:28 p.m. about a child drowning at Bon Temps Campground, located at 1554 Cypress Island Highway in St. Martinville.
The boy had been reported to be at the bottom of the swimming pool for approximately two minutes before being noticed. He was reported to be unresponsive and not breathing.
Sheriff’s Deputies arrived at approximately 12:35 p.m. and discovered the boy to be alert, responsive and in the recovery position.
The investigation revealed that bystander Kayden Hayes singlehandedly pulled the boy, identified as Kevin Gonzalez of Lafayette, from the bottom of the pool.
Recognizing the extreme urgency of the situation, Hayes immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), successfully resuscitating the child before emergency personnel arrived. The boy was taken to a local hospital where he has since made a full recovery In recognition of his heroic, life-saving actions, Sheriff Breaux presented Hayes with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office Life Saving Award in honor of his immediate intervention in saving the life of a 9-year-old boy.
Breaux noted that in the U.S., drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of death for children ages 5-14.
The sheriff said that although deputies responded swiftly, every second is critical, and the Sheriff’s Office is grateful for Hayes’ swift actions.
