Airman, Scouts save lives Published June 10, 2004 By Airman 1st Class Susan Penning 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFPN) -- Local Boy Scouts embarked on a whitewater canoe and kayak trip recently on nearby Chattooga River. Little did they know their recreational adventure was about to turn into a lifesaving rescue.At the end of their five-and-a-half-hour river ride, the Scouts were in the process of docking and packing up their watercraft when they heard a cry for help from across the river. About 50 yards away three adults and one child appeared to be in distress. After hearing their cries for help, Master Sgt. Todd Biggs, a Scout leader, ordered the boats back in the water to provide assistance.“I knew the canoes could get there more quickly than us trying to swim across,” said Sergeant Briggs, who is the superintendent for the 20th Component Maintenance Squadron’s test measurement and diagnostic equipment here.After Sergeant Biggs helped launch the boats, he swam over to help.The Scouts reached the victims and were able to get them all safely to shore. Once on shore, Sergeant Biggs noticed a woman attempting CPR on her husband.“I could see his chest wasn’t rising and falling when she blew air into his mouth,” Sergeant Biggs said. “The victim’s head wasn’t in a good position to open the airway, so I intervened.”He performed CPR for a few minutes, and the victim began breathing on his own. The Scouts carried the man a quarter mile uphill on a kayak to their vehicles. He was then taken via ambulance to a local hospital where he was treated and released the same day.The victims said they were walking along the river, decided to wade across what they thought was a shallow portion, and then slipped into water over their heads. One person could not swim, so another tried to help, but panicked, inhaled water and began to drown. The child, who was wearing a life preserver, and the nonswimmer were able to grab onto a rock and wait for help, but the woman was desperately trying to keep her husband’s head above water until help arrived.“We knew we had to get help to the victims as soon as possible,” Sergeant Biggs said. “No one panicked. The Scouts used the tools they were trained to use, such as lifesaving techniques, first aid and how to carry someone in distress.“The CPR training I received in the Air Force was also vital in the situation,” he said.