‘Right place at the right time’: Charlotte firefighter’s beach trip turns into life-changing event

CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte firefighter is getting praise, not for the work he does on the job, but instead for saving a life while off the job.

On Friday, he shared his story of being at the right place at the right time.

Demario House is used to saving lives as a Charlotte firefighter at Station 19 off Sardis Lane, but a few weeks ago, he was gearing up for a Labor Day weekend getaway.

“I was in Virginia Beach celebrating my youngest son’s birthday, fourth birthday,” he said.

House said it started off as a typical day as they soaked up the sun, but at one point, House looked up and peered out into the ocean.

“We were actually relaxing on the beach, just a normal day going out to have family time,” he said. “I saw what looks to be a silhouette in the water. I seen the silhouette go down, then float back up to the top. At that time, I knew he’d been down for a long time.”

House headed for the water, asking a couple nearby if they thought the man was OK. They didn’t think so and when House got to the man, he knew he wasn’t.

“I grabbed his right arm and rolled him over,” he said. “When I pulled him over, his face was blue from his head all the way down to his neck, eyes open, mouth open.”

He rushed to pull the drowning man to shore and quickly started chest compressions, with a crowd gathering.

“At that moment, my training kicked in. Instincts, adrenaline, everything,” House said. “I’m counting in my head, one, two, three, four.”

House said after 70 compressions, a miracle happened.

“At that moment, he took his first breath. It was a gasp of air. And at that moment, it was just a sigh of relief for everybody who was on the beach,” he said.

Paramedics arrived and took the man to the hospital, as House returned to his children who were looking on. He said he was thankful for the training he learned on the job.

“I was in the right place at the right time,” he said.

House said the man survived, but said he’s not a hero, adding the real heroes are the colleagues he works with every day.

His biggest message to everyone is to get certified in CPR, that way if someone finds themselves in a similar situation, they too can help.

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