Young Teen Saves His Older Brother With CPR Skills He Learned in School

A young teen saves his older brother with CPR skills he learned in school. You have siblings, you know the rules. You borrow each other's hoodies without asking. You argue over whose turn it is to do the dishes. You compete over just about everything. And if you're the younger sibling? You spend years trying to prove you can keep up with your big brother.

But every older brother knows there's one thing you can never win an argument about after your little brother saves your life. For 14-year-old Cody Aliff of Wilson, North Carolina, what started as a duck hunting trip with his 20-year-old brother, Hunter, and their father quickly became a fight for Hunter's life.

The Young Teen Knew He Had to Do Something to Save His Older Brother

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"We were hunting, and I heard a splash," Cody said. "I called for [Hunter's] name, and he didn't answer. So, I ran all the way over there, and he was face down in the water."

Cody knew he had to do something, and he sprang into action. Just months earlier, he had learned hands-on CPR in his health class at school. At the time, it was simply another lesson to pass. He never imagined it would become the reason his brother would make it home.

Cody then pulled Hunter from the water and immediately began CPR, keeping him alive until emergency responders arrived. Hunter was later taken to the hospital, where he recovered surrounded by his family.

"Just feels great because I didn't know I was going to use all that stuff so soon," Cody said.

He Received An Award For His Actions

His quick thinking earned him the American Heart Association's Heartsaver Hero Award, which recognizes ordinary people who step in during life-threatening emergencies. His mom, Barbie, wasn't surprised that her son stayed calm and knew how hard it was for him to pull his brother out of the water and then start CPR. It’s a rigorous task while staying calm.

"He is a very good student," Barbie said. "He really does pay attention for the most part in school, and so this paid off because he was paying attention." As a nurse who has performed CPR herself, she knows exactly how remarkable her son's actions were.

"I have performed CPR several times, and it's not easy," Barbie said. "So, for a 14-year-old to pull his brother out of the water and perform, that was such a blessing."

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I have a feeling Hunter will never hear the end of this. Every family gathering, every holiday, every friendly argument will probably end with one simple reminder: "Yeah... but remember that time I saved your life?"

Sibling rivalry has a funny way of fading when love shows up in the middle of a crisis. Sometimes the little brother becomes the biggest hero of all.

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."  Proverbs 17:17

WATCH: Young Teen Saves His Older Brother With CPR Skills He Learned in School

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h/t: CBS 17 News

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/CBS 17

Heather Riggleman is a believer, wife, mom, author, social media consultant, and full-time writer. She lives in Minden, Nebraska with her kids, high school sweetheart, and three cats who are her entourage around the homestead. She is a former award-winning journalist with over 2,000 articles published. She is full of grace and grit, raw honesty, and truly believes tacos can solve just about any situation. You can find her on GodUpdates, iBelieve, Crosswalk, Hello Darling, Focus On The Family, and in Brio Magazine. Connect with her at www.HeatherRiggleman.com or on Facebook.