Wedding Photographer Throws Away Camera As Couple Were About to Say 'I Do' to Save Drowning Boy

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A photographer who was covering an event at a beach has shown how important human life is by abandoning her camera to save and rescue a boy who was drowning at the beach.

Chantelle on duty before the incident

 

A photographer did the unthinkable by abandoning her post in the middle of a beach wedding to save the life of five year-old swimmer who was drowning.

 

Chantelle Botha dumped her cameras and ran to the shore to resuscitate the child just as the bride was about to say ‘I do’. She performed CPR on the little boy until she could find a pulse before lifeguards took over from her as she returned to her wedding duties.

 

It was the first time the first aider had ever saved a life - which she described as ‘an amazing feeling’, reports DailyMailUK.

 

The boy, who was on outing with his church to Port Shepstone, 75 miles south of Durban, is now recovering in hospital from his ordeal on Saturday.

 

Chantelle recounted her experience with the boy to MailOnline.

 

Chantelle Botha

 

‘I saw two kids dragging the body of a smaller child out of the sea. I just dumped my camera and whispered to my colleague that I would be back soon, and just ran.

 

‘When I reached the boy he didn't have a pulse. I checked his pupils and he was also foaming at the mouth. I cleared his airways and began compression. It took me about 15 minutes before I could detect a faint pulse.

 

bride and groom during the wedding 

 

‘The crowd who were with him were distraught, but stood back and gave me plenty of room to work. I have a five year old boy of my own so I was just thinking of him. It kept going through my mind that this boy could have been my child, and he was just too little to die.

‘My hand was so big on his little chest, I was worried about breaking a rib as I worked on him. When I finally could feel a pulse, it was faint, but it was such an amazing feeling, I was overwhelmed with relief.’ She said.

 

beautiful wedding background

 

Chantelle had little experience of CPR she learnt from Craig her paramedic husband.

 

‘I had watched my husband perform CPR a few times, but I had never done it before. I just don’t know what made me stop taking pictures and turn around – I was busy working and it was a pretty crucial stage of the ceremony, where they were about to say the ‘I dos,' Chantelle added.

 

The bride and groom apparently had no idea of the drama that was unfolding on the edge of the water’s edge as they exchanged vows and rings. 

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