Michael Desouza (Right) via New Bedford Fire Department / Facebook
CV NEWS FEED // A Catholic priest nearly drowned during a recent vacation in Bermuda — until two off-duty first responders from Massachusetts came to his rescue.
According to the New Bedford Fire Department, firefighter Michael Desouza and an unidentified 911 dispatcher from Waltham were at a beach in Bermuda when they saw an elderly man lying unresponsive in about two feet of water, CBS News reported May 9. They pulled him to shore and found that he had no pulse and was not breathing.
Desouza and the dispatcher began performing CPR. Two surgeons who were nearby also assisted. Together, they were able to revive the man, who was then transported to a hospital.
The fire department later confirmed that the man was a 75-year-old Catholic priest from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He had been vacationing with family to mark the 50th anniversary of his ordination.
According to the fire department, the priest made a full recovery and has since returned home.
The department commended Desouza’s response, stating that his actions demonstrated how “the knowledge and skills learned as a firefighter can be called upon to save a life no matter where in the world you might be.”
