Clovis Police Corporal Curtis Shurtliff was enjoying his family camping trip at Dinkey Creek in Fresno County, California last week when God used him to save a drowning child's life.
Shurtliff was off-duty during that time, but his training as a police officer helped him be aware of the cries of those in need. He heard screams near their campsite, and when he ran to investigate, he saw that a 5-year-old boy had just been pulled from the water.
The child's family, along with Shurtliff, came to check on the boy. He was not breathing.
"I checked for a pulse. There was no pulse," Shurtliff told KMPH. "I looked at the kid's pupils. They were fixed and they were dilated."
Shurtliff, who is a former paramedic and Navy veteran, conducted 30 minutes of CPR on the young boy, who failed to respond. He then asked the child's mother and asked about their faith.
"I wasn't gonna give up on this kid," Shurtliff said. "I looked back at the mother and asked her, 'Do you believe in God as Jesus and your Saviour?' She said 'Yes, I do.'"
They all decided that the best thing to do for the young boy is to pray for him. So they all did. It was only then that the young boy showed signs of life.
"As soon as they were done, I said, 'In Jesus' name I pray,' I felt a pulse," recalled Shurtliff.
When emergency crews finally arrived at the campground, they took the young boy, who began breathing again, to the hospital.
Shurtliff visited the child over the weekend, but no details about his condition was given by the hospital..
The family was extremely grateful for Shurtliff's help, but he directed their praise to God instead. "I didn't write this book. God did. We weren't even planning on being there," he said.
