Ballwin woman honored for life-saving actions

 (This story with 2 of my 6 photos appeared very recently in  print and online for West Newsmagazine)

The Ballwin Board of Aldermen kicked off its Aug. 14 meeting with a trifecta of honors for resident Debra Belobraydich.

While walking her dog, Belobraydich was approached by a woman along Kehrs Mill Trail, who asked if she could help at a nearby subdivision pool.

“Honestly, I didn’t think it was an emergency at first because she just asked if I could help at the pool,” Belobraydich recalled. “Then, when she said someone was drowning, the first thing I did was just run straight to the pool. It kind of all unfolded from there. I kind of went into an adrenaline mode of whatever I needed to do to help with the situation.”

The person drowning was an 11-year-old girl who had sunk to the pool’s bottom. Belobraydich acted quickly to save her life.

At the meeting, she noted that the incident occurred at a swim-on-your-own subdivision pool with ‘No Lifeguard on Duty’ signs.

According to Metro West FPD Capt. Matt Coppin, Belobraydich made several perfect spur-of-the-moment decisions in the life-saving scenario.

“There were other people in the pool, but nobody was feeling comfortable to go get the girl at the bottom of the pool,” Coppin said. “Debra saw what needed to be done and didn’t hesitate. She jumped in and got the girl out of the pool. Not only that, (but) what impresses me the most was her ability to think through the logistics of what needed to happen next. She checked to make sure 911 was on the way. She made sure the ambulance went to the pool. She organized kids to be ready with the words, ‘Don’t let the ambulance pass you! Stand in the street to let them know we are here.’

“She also rolled the girl on her side to make sure the water came out from her mouth. She knew what to do to organize the people that were there. For somebody who is untrained, that’s incredible! Without a doubt, Debra is the reason that girl is alive today. There’s no question about that.”

Ballwin Police Capt. Jon Bergfeld was in total agreement with Coppin’s assessment.

“You hear all the time how citizens stand by and expect somebody else to take action, and a tragedy occurred because no one would do that,” Bergfeld said. “As Matt Coppin said, sometimes you just need a leader in those situations, and it’s the unknown heroes who will step forward and say, ‘Go wait for the ambulance or fire truck to show up.’” 

While presenting Belobraydich with her second plaque of the evening, Bergfeld added, “You are a role model to our citizens here. Because of your willingness to act, a positive outcome occurred here. On behalf of the Ballwin Police Department, we’d like to award you the Citizens Service Citation.”

It was Mayor Tim Pogue’s honor to follow up with a proclamation from the city, after which laughter filled the room when it was questioned as to whether or not the Belobraydich family had enough wall space to sport all those honors.

Coppin noted that, within a few days, the young girl walked out of the hospital in good health. He stressed that, contrary to popular opinion, it’s rarely apparent or obvious to bystanders when someone is drowning.

He said drownings are silent events despite movies showing a person splashing around and yelling for help. When somebody is drowning, he said, they’re doing everything they can just to keep their head above water. So, they don’t have extra energy to splash around and yell for help.

“As a fire department, we teach CPR, ‘Stop the Bleed’ and other safety courses,” Coppin said. “Also, everyone who graduates high school now has to have a CPR class. Metro West, Red Cross and American Heart offer them, too. There are lots of options to get that education. But those courses don’t work unless somebody takes the initiative to act. A lot of times, people think, ‘I’m not trained, I don’t know what I can do.’ But if it’s a bad situation, you’re not going to make it worse. Maybe you’ll act and make it better.”

Belobraydich said the experience was overwhelming.

“You never expect to go through a situation like that and it’s nothing you plan for. I feel like God was truly with me that day, and I’m so blessed that she’s OK. It’s nice to have a community that supports you like this but nobody really has to go and honor or recognize me.”

 

Tony Gwynn: A Gem On and Off the Diamond

(Here's an article I produced on one of my favorite athletes of all time for the May 1988 edition of The Sports Journal of Calgary, Alberta. The story is just four seasons into the lengthy, 20-season Hall of Fame career of the man who barely made it to age 54.)

                                                                      (Breitbart photo)

Those who claim that all high-salaried players are self-serving primadonnas don't know Tony Gwynn.  But that unfamiliarity of personality should not be surprising considering how few people are even aware of Gwynn's on-the-field talents.

Gwynn's accomplishments are staggering! In his four years with the San Diego Padres, the 27-year-old rightfielder has compiled a .335 career batting average, including a pair of batting titles. His .370 batting mark last year was the National League's best since Stan Musial's .378 in 1948.

"He's amazing at the plate," Padres infielder Mike Flannery said. "He does everything right.  He'll get a hit on an incredible pitch; maybe one theat's busted him inside, and all of us on the bench will look at it and shake our heads.  It happens all the time."

But there's far more to Gwynn's abilities than making contact at the plate. He also earned his second straight Gold Glove and swiped 56 bases last year, second only to the Cardinals' Vince Coleman. Gwynn's seen All Star Game action all four seasons as well.

"If I had nine Tony Gwynn's suiting up every day, I wouldn't have to manage them a minute," said Padres skipper Larry Bowa. "His work ethic and every day contribution is just incredible!"

In addition to all of Gwynn's baseball accomplishments, which also included a trip to the World Series in his rookie season, Gwynn is the ultimate role model for other young players.

"I've never in my life seen anybody with Tony's work habits and dedication--and his desire to improve," teammate John Kruk said. "It's infectious!  You can't help but want to adopt his habits.  He's inspiring!"

Gwynn's list of good deeds involving the fans and the media probably even surpasses his baseball statistics.

When a couple players turned down an interview at Yuma (Arizona) Junior High School, Gwynn accepted and turned a 10-minute session into a comical half hour.  In fact, Gwynn's the man that Padres assistant public relations director Mike Swanson looks to when other teammates are unavailable to the press. 

Gwynn's love for children has led to personal sacrifices like missing a late night meal in St. Louis to satisfy dozens of autograph seekers in the streets after complaining to San Diego pitcher Greg Booker of being starved. Gwynn also suffered emotional pain while visiting a home for abused children in Las Vegas.

"That's just me," Gwynn said.  "I can't stand when people think baseball players are better than anybody else. I realize how lucky I am.  But I was raised to believe that you treat people as you'd want to be treated. That's all I do.  That's easy."