Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is being credited for saving a drowning child in a Las Vegas pool over the weekend.
Morris, 46, was at the Encore Las Vegas with his family when he saw a 3-year-old boy drowning, according to a post shared by his wife, Nicole, on Instagram via ESPN. The child was reported to have no pulse after being pulled from the pool by his father and Morris ran over to provide assistance as a lifeguard started to perform CPR compressions.
"I saw people calling 911 so my first question was, where is the AED?" Morris told ESPN on Wednesday, referencing an automatic external defibrillator, he ran to retrieve at the time. "When I got back, we had a doctor on site that was able to start the compressions. I was able to hand the AED to him, get it open for him, put the pads on the child, and he ended up being OK."
Morris said he recently underwent CPR, AED and first aid training led by Rams vice president of sports medicine and performance Reggie Scott for providing him with the awareness to act quickly in the situation. An AED analyzes a person's heart rhythm and gives off appropriate electrical shock after a person experiences cardiac arrest, which allows the heart to restore its normal rhythm.
AEDs have become more prevalent among NFL teams after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and went into cardiac arrest during a January game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin had since championed the Access to AEDs Act during an appearance on Capitol Hill in March.
Morris also said that a recent tragic incident in which Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett's 2-year-old daughter drowned increased awareness and preparedness among NFL coaches and players for similar situations. The 3-year-old boy was reported to be discharged from the hospital 24 hours after the incident, according to Nicole Morris' post.
Morris joined the Rams staff in 2021 after previous stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- which included serving as the team's head coach from 2009-11 -- Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons. The New Jersey native is a two-time Super Bowl champion, having won as a defensive coordinator with the Rams and a defensive quality coach with the Bucs.
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