Valley YMCA instructor performs CPR and saves boy

A Phoenix woman is being called a hero; she saved the life of a 4-year-old boy while on vacation in Idaho.

The boy nearly drowned in a lake, but Alicia Galbreath came to his rescue.

The woman is a Zumba instructor at a Valley YMCA. That fact is important because her job required her to learn CPR.

That training came in handy when she was vacationing in Idaho. They had been boating on a lake and pulled into the dock, that's when a relative noticed a little boy floating face down in the water.

"The YMCA requires all instructors to be CPR certified within one year of being employed," said Alicia Galbreath.

A spokesperson for the YMCA has clarified that instructors must be CPR/AED certified before they can teach a class.

She never imagined she would have to use her training, especially while on vacation.

"He pulled this little boy out of the lake, and I look over and see this lifeless little boy on the dock... I got there; he had no pulse, he's blue, he's not breathing or responsive, so the first thing I do is CPR," said Galbreath.

Her quick thinking revived the 4-year-old boy who began breathing on his own.

"It was the coolest thing, just watching him take that first breath," she said.

It's not known how long the little boy had been in the water before he was pulled out. Emergency crews arrived at the lake and checked the boy out. Fortunately, he seemed to be okay and went home with his family that afternoon.

Now Galbreath is back home in the valley, grateful she was able to give this story a happy ending.

"We were at the right place at the right time... it was humbling, it was a humbling experience, it was a life-changing experience," she said.