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[Dalek]

How a boy saved his drowning brother’s life — with help from the Rock’s ‘San Andreas’

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson called a 10-year-old Jacob O’Connor a hero after the boy saved his younger brother from drowning by performing chest compressions, which he learned from watching the movie “San Andreas.”

Jacob O’Connor saw his baby brother’s shoe floating in the pool first.

Then he saw his body.

It had been just a week since the 10-year-old Michigan boy last watched his favorite movie, “San Andreas,” an action drama that stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson rescuing his family from two hours of tragedy — an earthquake, a tsunami and, most relevant to Jacob, a near-drowning.

Johnson’s character pulls his unconscious daughter from floodwaters and gives her CPR, first in a collapsing building, then in a boat. Finally, she spits up water.

So as Jacob pulled his 2-year-old brother Dylan from the pool and laid him on the deck, his mind channeled the action hero.

“The movie just popped up in my head and I started thinking about that scene,” Jacob, of Roseville, Mich., told The Washington Post. “And that’s when I started doing the compressions.”

For half a minute, Jacob said he pushed and pushed until Dylan’s “heart started pumping.” And then, just like the character’s daughter, Jacob’s brother “vomited a little water.”

Now, nearly a month later, Dylan has fully recovered and Jacob is being hailed a hero — by his family, local law enforcement and Johnson himself.

“You’re a real life hero,” Johnson wrote in one of four tweets about Jacob’s actions. “We’re all proud of you!”

Jacob, who starts the fifth grade next month, isn’t so sure about all the fanfare. When asked if he feels like a hero, the boy responded with a “kind of.”

But Fire Chief Michael Holland is more certain.

“What an amazing thing, at 10 years old, to think in that stressful situation about what the right thing to do for your younger brother is — that’s stunning,” Holland told C&G Newspaper.

On the day of the incident, Jacob was in between episodes of “Lego Ninjago” with his brothers when he realized 2-year-old Dylan was gone — and the door to the backyard was wide open.

Moments before, the toddler had been dancing in the kitchen, waiting for his Nana to put him down for a nap. Jacob was keeping an eye on him. But somehow, the boy said, Dylan managed to open the sliding door and get in the pool.

After giving Dylan chest compressions, Jacob said he ran inside to retrieve his grandmother, Ellen Viau. She resumed CPR on the toddler and called 911.

O’Connor was at work, cleaning a mansion 45 minutes away, when she learned what had happened. Viau, her mother, called from the ambulance as it sped toward St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit. At the hospital, she found Dylan lying in bed on oxygen with two IVs hooked up to his arm.

“I lost it,” she told The Post. “I bawled my eyes out.”

That was before she learned what Jacob had done. Once Dylan was stabilized at the hospital, O’Connor ran home to talk with Jacob. They sat on the front porch and O’Connor asked her eldest son where he had learned to do chest compressions.

“I saw it in a movie,” she remembers him saying.

“What movie?” she asked.

“San Andreas,” Jacob replied. “With the Rock.”

And now Dwayne is going to fly the family out to Vancouver to meet him and celebrate.

 

[lucebuce12]

Amazing what the kid did.

"Jacob, who starts the fifth grade next month, isn’t so sure about all the fanfare. When asked if he feels like a hero, the boy responded with a “kind of.”

This is a good kid right here.

 

[Khalifa Jayy]

That's incredible. Wow. Truly heart warming.

 

[Fuchsdh]

Unrealistic depictions of CPR in movies actually save a real person's life. First time for everything, I guess.

 

[weekev]

Love stories like these.

 

[Mr. X]

Huh cool cpr was portrayed accurately maybe?

 

[charpunk]

Man, The Rock seems like such a genuinely good dude.

 

[Slaythe]

Unrealistic depictions of CPR in movies actually save a real person's life. First time for everything, I guess.

It's cpr not heart surgery. Not like it's impossible to depict correctly.

 

[yuoke]

Wow, what an awesome story.

 

[chuckddd]

#Rock2020

 

[Bizazedo]

My (future) President.

Also, well done to the kid.

 

[Beerman462]

Saved his brother and meeting the Rock. That's a damn fine story.

 

[Sulla1980]

Great story.

 

[sphagnum]

Just wait until he turns out to be a milkshake duck

 

[Derwind]

The Rock is the best thing to come out of the WWE. Dude is just an awesome human being.

Also props to the kid, he has the making of a first responder and I hope he continues to help others like he did his younger brother.

 

[Legend of Aims]

He's a hero in my book. Glad he was able to save his brother just by watching a movie.

 

[zeemumu]

Good job, kid


Wasn't there a kid who saved his brother thanks to the teachings of Larry the Lobster?

 

[gdt]

Just wait until he turns out to be a milkshake duck

Lmao was gonna be my post



Anyway, kid is a hero. Clear head little dude.

 

[Fuchsdh]

It's cpr not heart surgery. Not like it's impossible to depict correctly.

Agreed, but I have yet to see a film that actually does it, let alone accurately depicts that you're probably not going to be walking off getting wailed on; this case is fortunate in that the victim and rescuer were both young and comparatively weak, which prevents possible damage and complications like breaking the xiphoid process by bad hand positioning, which can cause internal injuries to vital organs.

 

[pelicansurf]

Incredible act by the kid and awesome response from the Rock.

 

[ratcliffja]

The Rock is the best thing to come out of the WWE. Dude is just an awesome human being.

Also props to the kid, he has the making of a first responder and I hope he continues to help others like he did his younger brother.

Cena seems like a great guy too along with Batista. It's a good thing that their three most popular mainstream stars right now all seem to be good people considering what a piece of crap Vince McMahon is.

 

[Sanjuro]

Old Man Rocky

 

[Derwind]

Cena seems like a great guy too along with Batista. It's a good thing that their three most popular mainstream stars right now all seem to be good people considering what a piece of crap Vince McMahon is.

Yeah true, its an amazing contrast.

 

[Robot Carnival]

such a great story! hopefully the little brother recovers soon and all of them get to have some good time with the Rock.

 

[Mighty Chin]

Unrealistic depictions of CPR in movies actually save a real person's life. First time for everything, I guess.

Awwww look at you.

 

[Fou-Lu]

I'm very glad someone else was spared the pain of losing a brother this way at such a young age. Good job kid!

 

[Dalek]

Just wait until he turns out to be a milkshake duck

We regret to inform you the 10 year old boy voted for Trump.

.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Have they arrested the parents yet? What was a 2-year-old kid doing in a swimming pool without adult surveillance?

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

There have been a few stories in the past of people either doing cpr or the Heimlich maneuver based on a cartoon or movie that accurately depicted it. It's pretty cool.

Have they arrested the parents yet? What was a 2-year-old kid doing in a swimming pool without adult surveillance?

He got himself out.

Although it should have been locked, and the kids supervised.

 

[99Luffy]

"And then I just thought of that one scene from San Andreas."

 

[Socreges]

Amazing what the kid did.

This is a good kid right here.

Yeah that made me smile.

Just wait until he turns out to be a milkshake duck

*sees Michigan in article*
...yeah 😔

 

[Mushroomer25]

Huh cool cpr was portrayed accurately maybe?

Ironically, the CPR in the movie is used in a woman who has been undeniably dead for at least ten minutes. But the actions themselves are accurately depicted, which is what really matters.

 

[nel e nel]

It's cpr not heart surgery. Not like it's impossible to depict correctly.

If you do chest compressions in the wrong spot you can potentially puncture lungs or other organs. If you do CPR incorrectly, you could potentially choke someone with their own tongue or shove a blockage further down the throat.

But all's well that ends well.

 

[-Plasma Reus-]

I told y'all that film was the real deal.

 

[funkystudent]

Good guy Rock strikes again.

 

[TetraGenesis]

This made me cry a little! To think his brother was that close to death and he saved his life -- incredible. I keep thinking about my nieces who are 1 and 2 respectively and how easily they could end up in the same situation. Thank god that little boy had his big brother there.

 

[W-00]

Ironically, the CPR in the movie is used in a woman who has been undeniably dead for at least ten minutes. But the actions themselves are accurately depicted, which is what really matters.

Wait, they actually depict how to perform CPR accurately in the movie? I've never seen it performed properly in any medium. I was under the impression that they purposefully avoided it because performing it properly had too high of a chance to injure the actors.

Anyways, well done, kid.

 

[What did he mean by this?]

I dont think Grandma is watching the kids anymore

 

[rec0ded1]

I hope no adults think they can just bust this shit out with no training.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

Good guy Rock strikes again.

Holy shit....lmao. I had to google this. He really went all in. Had he met this fan before? Curious how his family took this, but Eric would've loved, you would imagine.

 

[Good Guy Gone Bad]

Good guy Rock strikes again.

I really need someone to do this for me when I pass away

 

[Socreges]

Holy shit....lmao. I had to google this. He really went all in. Had he met this fan before? Curious how his family took this, but Eric would've loved, you would imagine.

Clickhole is satire

 

[99Luffy]

I hope no adults think they can just bust this shit out with no training.

..are you saying they should do nothing and wait 15 minutes for people with training to come?

 

[Skii]

If you do chest compressions in the wrong spot you can potentially puncture lungs or other organs. If you do CPR incorrectly, you could potentially choke someone with their own tongue or shove a blockage further down the throat.

But all's well that ends well.

So let them die instead of injuring them? Smart.

 

[teh_pwn]

Jim Carrey should take notes on how to be a celebrity.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

Clickhole is satire

Nooooo. Now I'm sad.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

Damn the rock is a cool dude.

 

[lightus]

There's some oddly aggressive and seemingly misguided posts in this thread.

It's a great article and it's amazing that the boy was able to save his brother.

With that being said, CPR is often portrayed horribly in movies. On top of that, CPR can cause serious damage if done incorrectly or when done inappropriately. In fact, even done correctly you still run the risk of breaking the recipient's ribs.

I'm not say it takes years of training to perform, but it's not a low risk catch all solution some people seem to be implying.

 

[Hashmal_Bringer_of_Order]

Good guy Rock strikes again.

But that subconscious kink-shame microagression though...

Milkshake Duck?

 

[Link]

It's cpr not heart surgery. Not like it's impossible to depict correctly.

Not true. If you depict CPR correctly on an actual person, you're likely to break their ribs.