A brave 12-year-old boy saved his mother’s life in West Orange, Texas, after she had a seizure while driving and their car ended up in a pond.
Life often presents us with unexpected challenges that test our strength and faith. This story shows how God can work through even the youngest among us to perform amazing acts of courage and love.
On July 24, the Winbush family’s ordinary drive turned into a frightening ordeal. Jonquetta Winbush, 39, suffered a seizure while behind the wheel. Her children, 12-year-old Dwight and 16-year-old Bri-Asia, were in the car when it veered off Highway 87 and plunged into a nearby pond.
As water started filling the car, young Dwight knew he had to act fast. He managed to swim out of the sinking vehicle, following his sister’s advice to find help. With determination, Dwight ran along the highway, desperately looking for someone who could save his mom.
Luckily, Dwight spotted West Orange Police Officer Charles Cobb. The boy’s urgent cry for help was captured on Cobb’s body camera: “She’s having a seizure! She’s stuck! She’s in the water, help her!” Dwight’s words conveyed the seriousness of the situation.
Officer Cobb quickly understood how dire things were. He helped Dwight into his patrol car and rushed to the pond. When they arrived, they saw Winbush’s gray car partly underwater, with Bri-Asia standing near the back of the vehicle.
Cobb didn’t waste any time. He ran to get a special tool from his car to break the vehicle’s windows. As he prepared to rescue Winbush, several kind-hearted people who saw what was happening came to help too.
One of these good Samaritans was Epifanio Munguia, who was driving by when he noticed the emergency. Without hesitating, Munguia stopped his car and jumped into the water to help. He later said, “I realized that it was happening at that very moment. I pulled over and I jumped in the water.”
The rescue wasn’t easy. Munguia and the others managed to break the car’s back window, but then the car started sinking deeper into the pond. They knew they had to work faster to save Winbush.
Finally, they opened the front door and pulled Winbush out of the sinking car. Munguia described his relief: “As soon as we were opening the front door, I heard ‘I got her,’ and I felt like I won the lottery.”
But Winbush wasn’t out of danger yet. When they got her out of the water, she wasn’t breathing and had no pulse. Officer Cobb immediately started CPR, a crucial step that would end up saving her life.
For several tense minutes, Officer Cobb kept doing chest compressions, hoping to revive Winbush. Munguia remembered the moment when their efforts started to work. “I remember grabbing her hand and I could feel the pulse in her wrist,” he said. “I really don’t know how to describe it to you other than just life started coming back into her.”
Jonquetta Winbush’s recovery hasn’t been easy. She spent more than three weeks in the hospital on a breathing machine. But her sister, Bevnisha Holman, shared some good news with ABC News: Winbush is now breathing on her own and getting stronger each day.
Holman expressed deep thanks for the quick-thinking rescuers who helped her family when they needed it most. “My sister and my niece and nephew, they all needed you. Y’all stepped in. Y’all didn’t hesitate,” she said, her voice full of gratitude.
The brave actions of Dwight, Officer Cobb, and the good Samaritans didn’t go unnoticed. On August 13, the city of West Orange honored Officer Cobb and the civilian rescuers with a special award for saving a life and a letter praising their bravery.
This amazing rescue reminds us how much impact one person’s actions can have. Dwight’s bravery in seeking help, Officer Cobb’s quick response, and the selflessness of strangers like Munguia all played key roles in saving Jonquetta Winbush’s life.
Looking back, we can see God’s hand at work in this miraculous rescue.
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