8-Year-Old Boy Amazingly Saves Father’s Life After He Collapses

By: Riley Brown | Last updated: Oct 15, 2023

Landin Colson, then only eight years old, sprung into action when he witnessed his father collapse to the floor. And then the child did something that really floored the adults. He started performing CPR on his father right away.

Learn more about Landin Colson, a little youngster who is being recognized as a hero for the way he handled a family crisis by continuing to scroll down the page.

Landin Colson, a Typical 8-Year-Old Boy

Eight-year-old Landin Colson is a fairly typical child of his age group. His mother, Hope Hersey, his dad, and the rest of his siblings all call Warner, New Hampshire, their home. They all live there together. 

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However, Landin had no way of anticipating that his resiliency would be tested under the most devastating circumstances. He was completely unprepared for what was to come. Not even his mother was aware he could perform what he did.

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Growth and Development of an Eight-Year-Old

The year of age eight can be a truly wonderful time. Children eight years old develop a greater sense of autonomy and maturity. It may be heartening to observe them demonstrating true empathy for other people. 

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During their time in school, students of all ages are exposed to various subjects and activities, and Colson is no exception. At the time of his father’s incident, he was in the fourth grade at Simonds Elementary School in Warner. 

The Colson Family’s Tragic Trip

Just like every other family, the Colson family makes it a point to spend quality time together by taking weekend trips.

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The event occurred on Saturday, September 29, 2018. This day started without a shadow of a doubt, the same as any other day. The Colson family wanted to make the most of their weekend by hanging out and having fun outdoors together. But things took a sharp turn for the worse not long after the weekend began.

His Father Was Not Feeling Well

During this kind of trip, every parent understands the need to keep a watchful check on their children at all times. They are always investigating everything in their environment, which means you should constantly be ready to take immediate action if necessary.

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But Hersey had a sneaking suspicion that her spouse, who was in charge of taking the kids that day, was acting strangely on this particular occasion. But her husband did not want them to be aware of this fact.

Colson’s Father Collapsed

When the event took place, Hersey, along with the children and Colson’s father, was outdoors. She stated this to WMUR News in October 2018, saying, “I asked him if he was okay. He said ‘Yes.’” But then, her husband collapsed against the edge of the shed.

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Because he had assured her that he was fine, she did not anticipate that he would pass out at any point. She added. “My kids ran over, and he was unresponsive when I got to him.”

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Colson Made an Unexpected Move

As soon as Hersey saw that her husband had passed out, she acted immediately and did what anyone else would have done in that situation, which is to say that she raced off and called the emergency services.

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While Colson’s mother was doing this, rather than just standing there and watching her, Colson chose to get involved and assist in whatever way he could rather than waiting to be told what to do. He tried to help her father in the most effective way he knew how.

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Saving His Dad’s Life

Colson made a choice to do something that very few people would have expected a kid of his current age to know how to accomplish as his father lay there lifeless. In a desperate effort to revive his father, he successfully performed chest compressions and other lifesaving measures on him.

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The sight of her kid performing CPR in a flash while relatively remaining composed astounded his mother because it was something she had not anticipated seeing from him.

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What Did Colson Feel at That Time?

In an interview with WMUR News, Colson detailed the emotions that he was experiencing at the time. “I’m like, ‘Dad, stay with me. I know it’s going to be OK. You’re just going to go to the hospital, and I know you’re going to be better someday,’” he expressed.

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In spite of the fact that he was witnessing his father in that kind of scenario, he was completely confident that his health would recover in the not-too-distant future.

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It Was a Timely Act

Even adults can go into a state of paralysis when confronted with a difficult scenario. The fact that this young guy was so courageous is one of the things that makes it so great. Not only was he capable of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but he was also self-assured enough to jump into action the moment he was required to do so.

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A non-breathing unconscious person has little time. Just minutes without oxygen causes permanent brain damage, and 4 to 6 minutes later, it may cause loss of life.

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Tremendously Calm and Collected

His mother was taken aback by the fact that Landin was able to administer CPR and keep his composure during the ordeal. She stated, “I have never seen this child as calm and cool and collected.” She believed that, at that moment, he had done a great job. “He was far more calm than I was,” she added.

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It was simply a stroke of good luck that Landin was there to assist her in that kind of predicament, though she had not expected it at all.

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The Professionals Arrived

During the time that Colson was performing the procedure that could potentially save his father’s life, emergency personnel was heading to the location. An officer who responded to the call arrived not long after that and took over.

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Colson took a back seat and allowed the professionals to do what they needed to accomplish. And despite collapsing, the overall outlook for Colson’s father was believed to be positive, according to official reports.

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Where Did He Learn the Skill?

Bear in mind that Colson’s mother was unable to perform CPR on her husband and instead called for assistance from the emergency services. This finding begs the question of how a child of that age could have acquired such a substantial ability. The answer is not difficult to figure out.

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This was the kind of expertise that required training, and Colson had received the necessary training. Keep reading to discover where Colson received CPR training.

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Applying What He Learned

Colson learned cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in school, which is also where he learned the rest of his other abilities. Colson and his classmates at Simonds Elementary School were instructed on the proper procedure by members of the faculty. He went on to say that his nurse, as well as his fitness and gym teacher, had instructed him and his classmates in the process.

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It is fortunate that he had acquired this knowledge and was able to correctly apply it to his father in order to save his life.

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Not Everyone Is Given the Opportunity to Learn

Although Colson’s ability to conduct CPR may be what ultimately led to the survival of his father–CPR is not a skill that’s commonly taught in New Hampshire schools. And Colson’s mother is determined to make a difference in this regard. 

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She is of the opinion that each and every student ought to be given the opportunity to obtain knowledge of this significant process as she believes that doing so could have saved lives in situations similar to the one in which they found themselves.

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Colson’s Dream

The eight-year-old boy has high aspirations that he will one day be able to put his skills in saving lives to work in a professional setting. Colson publicly shared with the reporter that one day, when he’s older, he hopes to work in the emergency services field as a physician or firefighter.

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Because of everything that he accomplished that day, there is an excellent possibility that he will be able to achieve the objective he has set for himself.

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A Comparable Situation

A situation similar to this has occurred on more than one occasion in the past. In fact, there are a lot of stories out there about very young kids coming to the aid of their parents.

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For instance, in March of 2018, firefighter Paul Rowlands required CPR, which was administered by his son Joe, who was 13 at the time. Following the flipping of their kayak off the shore of Anglesey, Wales, Paul had lost consciousness and needed to be revived.

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Another Brave Youngster

In a separate instance, in March of 2013, C.J. Saulsgiver was able to save his mother’s life after she suffered a heart attack. When the boy got home from school, he heard his mother calling out for him. He was in the sixth grade at the time.

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When he arrived at her location, she had already collapsed to the floor and had stopped breathing. After that, he called 911 then began performing CPR on his mother. He was ultimately successful in resuscitating her.

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A Firefighter Badge

Saulsgiver and his parents had taken a course on CPR a few months before–which is why he was completely aware of what to do in this situation.

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Jason Poulsen, the city fire chief, recognized the valor shown by a young kid from Roy, Utah, by bestowing upon him a firefighter badge as a token of appreciation for his actions. It was the young hero’s 12th birthday that day, and it was momentous for him in more aspects than one.

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“I Think I’m a Hero”

Colson was also praised by the police and fire service in his community for intervening and conducting life-saving CPR on his father during an emergency. 

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When questioned if he knew how brave and courageous his actions were, the eight-year-old responded with a charming answer to the question. “Yeah,” he replied while beaming with happiness and pride. “I think I’m a hero,” he said. But more than anything else, he was most pleased with the fact that he had saved his father.

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