Teenage Girl Saves Drowning Child Using CPR She Learned at School

A Thanksgiving miracle: A teenager saved a drowning toddler over the holiday weekend thanks to CPR training she learned in school.

In California, where the weather is nice, the Thanksgiving turkey comes with a swim. But a family reunion turned terrifying for the Atkinson family, where 3-year-old Maxine fell into the pool, almost lifeless after four minutes in it. But 15-year-old Madison Atkinson began performing CPR, which she had learned in a sports medicine class.

When Maxine's uncle found her and screamed for help, Madison came to his aid. A few minutes after pumping on her chest, she opened her eyes and started breathing again, TODAY reports. 911 dispatchers asked him to turn her onto her side at that point, and she miraculously began breathing on her own.

Relatives called the teen “calm, cool and collected” and dispatchers confirmed to the teen that she had just experienced a miracle and that the outcome was not usually this positive.

“I was just like: Let's make this baby alive,” Madison told TODAY, noting that no one else knew CPR. Since then, the whole family has committed to learning CPR.

Even in winter, it can help everyone hone their CPR skills, especially around bodies of water that kids aren't typically used to during the holidays.

The Red Cross gives specific guidelines for children and babies, for whom rescuers should perform 30 compressions, at a rapid rate of about 100 to 120 per minute. The main difference between children and babies is that for children you interlace your fingers, like you may have seen in the movies. For babies, however, you use two fingers. For small children in between, you can use one hand.

Before family gatherings, make sure you know about this essential life-saving measure, in case you find yourself in a situation like that of the Atkinson family.