How an off-duty West Dundee cop saved his nephew's life

It was any family's worst nightmare.

One moment, Paul Shipley was enjoying an event with relatives Jan. 5 at a Bolingbrook hotel pool. The next, he heard screaming and saw his unconscious 5-year-old nephew being pulled out of the water.

Shipley, a West Dundee police officer, sprang into action and immediately began performing CPR with help from a nurse who was on the scene. The boy had been underwater for more than a minute and wasn't breathing, Shipley said.

A week later, the boy has made a full recovery.

"It's my instinct that just kicked in," said Shipley, who has been in law enforcement for 14 years. "It was automatic. I knew I had to get to him, and I knew what I needed to do. There wasn't a second thought."

Bolingbrook authorities took over administering lifesaving techniques on the boy when they arrived about 7:43 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 205 Remington Blvd., police Lt. Anthony Columbus said. The boy was resuscitated and taken to a hospital, where doctors have since determined he has no signs of long-term damage, Shipley said.

Shipley now is being hailed a hero by his fellow officers and leaders of the West Dundee Police Department. But he credits his quick thinking to the department's extensive scenario-based training in lifesaving techniques and equipment.

"As Officer Shipley knows, officers are never fully 'off duty' and swear an oath to 'serve and protect,' which is a 24-hour-per-day commitment," said Lt. Anthony Gorski, the department's training supervisor "It is no surprise that (Shipley's) training kicked in and he acted correctly and without hesitation to save this precious young boy's life."

Shipley says a handful of important lessons came out of the near-tragic experience: Always keep an eye on children in the pool; make sure those who can't swim are wearing flotation devices; and learn and practice CPR so it can be used effectively in a crisis.

But all family members have been thinking about is how thankful they are that his nephew survived.

"I'm just tremendously grateful," Shipley said. "I'm very happy for the outcome."

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