In June 2020, Victor Gomez-Cervantes was working at the San Diego Convention Center when he used CPR to help save the life of a gentleman he found lying unconscious. For his heroic and lifesaving actions, Victor was honored today by the American Red Cross Southern California Region and was awarded the Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders, one of the highest awards given by the Red Cross.  

“We’re proud to honor Victor for his quick thinking and immediate response.” said Sean Mahoney, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross Southern California Region. “His willingness to put his training into action truly embodies the spirit and mission of the Red Cross.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the San Diego Convention Center was established as a temporary homeless shelter. On June 18, 2020, Victor, a San Diego Parks and Recreation staff member at the Convention Center, was working when he went into the bathroom and noticed a gentleman laying on the floor. Victor quickly put on his personal protective equipment and directed another individual to call 9-1-1 and to notify the onsite firefighters. Victor performed an assessment on the gentleman by checking his pulse and breathing and then he immediately started performing chest compressions. An on-site nurse arrived to assist and helped to administer two doses of Naloxone; however, the gentleman did not respond. Victor, with the help of another bystander resumed chest compressions until Emergency Medical Services arrived on site. Without a doubt, the skills learned in the American Red Cross Training Services course helped to sustain the life of this gentleman. 

For this heroic action, Victor was awarded the Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders. This is the highest award given by the Red Cross to individuals or group of individuals who save or sustain a life using skills learned in a Red Cross Training Services course.

American Red Cross Training Services teaches lifesaving skills to an average of more than 9 million people each year, including thousands of people in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Red Cross training empowers people with the knowledge and skills to act in an emergency and save a life. A variety of online, blended (online and in-person skills session) and classroom courses are available at redcross.org/takeaclass.

Visit LifesavingAwards.org to nominate and recognize an individual or group of individuals who have used the skills and knowledge learned in an American Red Cross Training Services course to help save or sustain a life.

For more information about the American Red Cross of Southern California, visit redcross.org/SoCal.