Hero Teen’s Quick CPR Saves Cincinnati Diner's Life

CINCINNATI, OH — Austin Goddard, 16, had been on the job as a dishwasher at a Cincinnati restaurant exactly two days when he earned the title of hero. The teen was bussing a table at the Skyline Chili restaurant when he saw a guest had collapsed over his meal, and he immediately began administering CPR, a lifesaving technique he had learned in high school.

A police officer walked in the diner while Goddard was administering the chest compressions, but by then, the 74-year-old customer had already been revived, WKRC-TV reported. Goddard told the TV station he saw the customer in distress and quickly jumped into action. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Cincinnati Patch, or click here to find your local Ohio Patch. Also, if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

“I ran over and I did CPR on him,” the teen told the TV station. “The police officer walked through the door as soon as he started being responsive. My adrenaline was going and fear wasn’t a factor at the moment. It all kind of kicked in [afterward] and I was like, ‘Wow.’”

“Wow” is right.

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Skyline Chili restaurants Director of Marketing Sarah Sickling told ABC News that Austin will be honored for his bravery both by the Cincinnati-based chain’s CEO and and first responders.

“We are just so proud of Austin for taking care of our customer,” Sicking said. “He took [it] above and beyond and saved a man’s life. It takes a lot of courage and it was only his second day of work.”

Goddard’s mother also works as a dishwasher at Skyline Chili, and he had been volunteering as her helper until the restaurant signed him on as an employee two days before the life-saving incident.

“I thought it was amazing,” Shannon Goddard told WKRC of her son’s heroic actions. “He has the complete different reaction to emergencies than I do. I freeze. You know, a lot of people do and he, like, goes into action.”

Family members of the now-healthy customer, a Florida man named Larry who was visiting Ohio in late June when he became ill, recently stopped by the diner with a photo of Larry, sitting before a tray of Skyline food. It was inscribed: “Thank you, Austin, for saving my life.”

Goddard plans to renew his CPR certification when it’s time. All sophomores in his class at South Ripley High School in Indiana were required to learn the technique.

“There’s still kids that are not out there robbing and shooting people and killing people,” he told WKRC. “I’m just glad I was able to save a life instead of take a life.”

Photo of CPR technique by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images