Teen cyclist helps save confused woman wandering in Arizona heat
A 14-year-old Gilbert cyclist spotted a confused 75-year-old woman in 103-degree heat, moved her into shade and stayed until paramedics arrived.
Royal Cothrun was riding his bike through Gilbert, Arizona, when he noticed something was wrong with 75-year-old Theresa Morgan. The 14-year-old saw Morgan appearing confused and distressed, moved her into the shade, contacted her family and stayed with her until paramedics arrived.
Morgan had dementia and had wandered miles from her home in roughly 103-degree heat, a level of afternoon heat that can turn a routine walk into a medical emergency. Her son said he believes Cothrun’s quick intervention may have saved her life.
The encounter unfolded with the help of a pair of recording sunglasses Cothrun was wearing, which captured portions of the moment as it happened. The footage helped show how fast a bystander can recognize heat-related confusion, a condition that can look like disorientation, distress and an inability to make safe decisions.
The Gilbert Fire Department and the Air National Guard are recognizing Cothrun for the rescue, turning a teenager’s split-second decision into a public example of neighborhood response in extreme heat. In Gilbert, where summer temperatures can soar well past 100 degrees, the difference between hesitation and action can be measured in minutes.
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