Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- A 12-year-old boy who survived a near-drowning incident, thanks to CPR, returned home.
- Helena Class-Alexander, a nurse, performed CPR for eight minutes, saving him.
- The family advocates for CPR training, highlighting its importance for water safety.
EAGLE MOUNTAIN — A 12-year-old Eagle Mountain boy is home and recovering after a terrifying near-drowning incident that nearly claimed his life.
On May 23, Jason Thorpe and his friends were playing in a neighbor's hot tub.
Helena Class-Alexander, whose home the children had been swimming at, said she and her husband were watching the kids when they noticed something was off, as they stopped seeing Jason above the water surface.
"I asked my son, 'Where is Jason?' and Aiden said he was holding his breath for five minutes," Class-Alexander said. "My husband beelined it over to the hot tub to tell him to knock it off because it's not a safe game to play, and he literally pulled Jason out of the hot tub, and he was totally unresponsive."
Class-Alexander, a nurse practitioner, and her husband jumped into action and began performing CPR on the boy.
"I did CPR on him for like eight minutes," Class-Alexander recalled. "If he had gone those eight minutes without having adequate CPR, he would absolutely be dead."
Class-Alexander credits her medical training with the boy's survival. She described the experience as deeply emotional, saying, "It was like doing CPR on your own child. I mean, I love this kid that much."
The 12-year-old was hospitalized for nearly two weeks but returned home on Thursday to a warm welcome from friends and neighbors.
Overcome with emotion, Class-Alexander described the moment Jason ran across the driveway to hug her. "I thought I'd never see him again."
Jason and his family are now sharing their story to raise awareness about water safety and the importance of CPR training.
"Helena saved my life," Jason said. "I'm glad that I have Helena to be my neighbor."
His mother, Anne Thorpe, echoed that sentiment.
"We would not have had this outcome with Jason home had she not known CPR," she said. "We have a bond that is going to last forever."
Class-Alexander hopes their story serves as a wake-up call for others.
"This is a 12-year-old who nearly drowned, a great swimmer, who has been in my hot tub tons of times, never had any issues. This can happen to anybody," Class-Alexander said. "Knowing CPR is — you owe that to humanity and anybody who is in a body of water near you."
