DLA San Joaquin firefighter aids in saving a toddler’s life

By Annette Silva, DLA Distribution San Joaquin, Calif. Public Affairs

Firefighter Donald Cabral was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Award for saving the life of a

toddler who fell into a backyard swimming pool last April. Pictured with Cabral is DLA Installation Support

at San Joaquin Site Director Rod Tatman. Cabral received his award during a small morning ceremony at the Tracy site fire station.

Firefighter Donald Cabral, attached to DLA Installation Support at San Joaquin’s Fire Department at Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin, Calif. received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award during a morning ceremony for saving the life of a toddler who fell into a backyard swimming pool in April.

After spending a month in intensive care at the UC Davis Medical Center, the toddler made a full recovery.

Cabral was out back doing yard work when he received the page from the Newman Fire Department where he serves as a volunteer firefighter during his off-time. Because the call was so close to his home, he proceeded directly to the scene instead of reporting to the fire station before responding.

“I received the page just after I got done mowing the lawn,” Cabral remarked. “I immediately jumped into my wife’s car and drove two blocks to the victims’ home and ran through the house where his frantic mother directed me to the backyard.”

When he entered the backyard, he found the toddler lying by the side of the pool unconscious and blue. He immediately started CPR for the next five to six minutes until the ambulance arrived on scene.

“As I approached the toddler, my EMT skills and training naturally took over and I continued to perform CPR until the medical personnel arrived on scene.”

Once the paramedics arrived, Cabral assisted the team in the ambulance, still performing CPR, while the paramedics were starting the IV and monitors. Unfortunately, the ambulance was not able to depart due to the severity of the toddler requiring a medivac flight to be dispatched to transport the toddler to UC Davis Medical Center.

Once again, Cabral shifted to life saving mode and darted out of the ambulance and jumped into the rescue truck to head to the fire station to retrieve the engine for staging in an open field for the medivac helicopter to land.  The helicopter than transported the toddler to UC Davis.

“I was very fortunate that this was so close to home to be able to give the child a chance to live,” said Cabral.

“This is an example of true heroism.  Firefighter Cabral bestowed a great credit upon himself, his local community and the Defense Logistics Agency,” Fire Chief Sean Edwards said. “Due to Firefighter Cabrals’ immediate response; this story could have had a very different ending.”