Pulled child from pool to avoid drowning

By Nancy McMullen, as published in the Belleville News-Democrat and the O'Fallon Progress .

Terri Ettling-Shell of O'Fallon, IL has received the Red Cross' National Certificate of Merit - the organization's most prestigious award given to someone for saving a child.

In May, 2006, several children were swimming in Ettling-Shell's pool when one of them, Dylan Miller, accidentally stepped into the deep end. Ettling-Shell pulled him from the pool and instructed another child to tell Ettling-Shell's husband to dial 911.

After pulling him out, she began cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Dylan and revived him after two rescue breaths before the paramedics arrived and took over his treatment. They credited her for helping Dylan to make a full recovery.

Ettling-Shell, who teaches special education at Cahokia High School, had been Red Cross-certified for CPR from the high school's nurse a month before the incident. After she saved Dylan, she encouraged other teachers to get certified by the Red Cross.

"After the incident, I went around to all the teachers that I knew (who) had pools and told them to get Red Cross training," said Ettling-Shell.

Last year, she received the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter's Lifesaver Award, which recognizes local citizens who were Red Cross-certified and had used the skills they learned to respond in an emergency. After winning the Lifesaver Award, her story was sent to the American National Red Cross, which awarded her the National Certificate of Merit. The national award is signed by the President of the United States.

Dylan's parents, Annette Miller and Shawn Miller, a volunteer firefighter for the O'Fallon Fire Department, were present at the awards ceremony Monday.

"We can't thank her enough for saving our son," said Annette Miller.

Ettling-Shell believes Shawn Miller's service as a volunteer firefighter is more admirable than what she did to save his son.

"I think what Shawn does on a daily basis is more important than anything I did," said Ettling-Shell.

Also at the ceremony, Alton teenager Randy Weigler received a Lifesaver Award. In May, his mother, Barb Weigler, started choking while in her living room. Randy rescued her by delivering abdominal thrusts in a successful effort to clear her airway.

For more information about the awards ceremony or about Red Cross certification, visit the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter website at www.redcrossstl.org, or call 314.516.2800.