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Do you remember the first time you were separated from your parents and left alone as a child? Maybe you wandered off and got lost. Did panic take over you or were you calm?
Would you have known how to respond to an emergency?
One 5-year-old boy from San Tan Valley, Arizona managed to save his mother by acting on instincts.
A loud noise
No door or high switch deterred him, and he did all of it without any instruction, coaching, or manuals.
Salvatore Cicalese was in bed when he heard a noise from the bathroom.
When he walked in, he saw his mother slumped on the ground and was unresponsive. Other kids would’ve screamed or cried in panic, but not Salvatore.
Protecting his baby sister
Instead, he wrapped his two-month-old infant sister in a blanket, and then carried her to the living room. Then, he pushed a bar stool to the garage and used it to reach the switch for the garage door.
He walked all the way to their neighbor’s house with his baby sister.
Jessica Penoyer, their neighbor, said she was surprised to see the siblings at her front door in the middle of the night.
“He’s standing there and holding something and I thought it was a doll,” said Penner to ABC15.
Asking for help
Confused, Penner thought he was saying that their dog passed died. But the boy insisted that it was his mom and that she died in the shower. He also asked her to take care of them.
Penoyer quickly called 911.
The first responders saw the unconscious woman in the bathtub with the water still on. If Salvatore didn’t act, the situation would’ve ended in tragedy.
“Honestly he saved my life. I was under the faucet. If he wouldn’t have gotten help, I would have drowned,” Kaitlyn Cicalese, Salvatore’s mother, said to the local news channel.
Kaitlyn suffered a seizure.
Waking up in the hospital
The terrifying episode began after putting the kids to bed. Kaitlyn then went to shower after the long day, which is the last thing she remembers.
When she came to, she realized that she was already in the hospital.
Rural Metro firefighters recognized Sal’s bravery when they heard the story.
A fire engine rolled up to their home where a squad of firefighters presented him with a certificate, a helmet, and a patch.
Educating others
Fire spokesperson Shawn Gilleland presented Sal as an “honorary firefighter”, and Sal was excited about his new role.
The fire department took this opportunity as well to talk to parents.
They explained that this episode is a great example of the possible dangers one would encounter when around little kids. The department reiterated the example of giving a clear set of instructions and drills to children so they’d know how to respond to an emergency.
“Talk to them about it. What do you need to do? How do you dial 911? What are the proper uses for 911? Also, how do you get out of your house? What to do if there is a fire,” said Gilleland to ABC15.
All his own instincts
And while Sal did the right thing, his family also shared that they’ve never discussed these steps with their son. All Sal did was act on his instincts, making sure that his sister and mother were safe.
Watch the video below to see the brave hero himself and learn more.
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