INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Two of the youngest people to dial 911 this month were given a citizens award by Sheriff Deryl Loar for composure under pressure.

Amanda Reynolds, 8, and her brother Zachary, 7, of Indialantic were visiting their grandmother, Beverly Ferguson, of Vero Beach on July 1 when the 71-year-old was struck by a dizzy spell, she said.

“Everything was going fine, and then she fell over,” Amanda Reynolds told a 911 operator after Ferguson struck her head on a doorknob during the fall. Ferguson also began vomiting during the call.

Paramedics arrived and made sure Ferguson was OK. When they arrived, Zachary led them inside the home and showed where his grandmother kept her medications. The siblings’ actions earned each of them a framed certificate and a $10 gift card for McDonald’s from the Sheriff’s Office. They were presented the awards Tuesday at a ceremony at the Sheriff’s Office.

“Making a 911 call can often be a frightening experience for an adult, let alone a child,” Loar said. “Amanda was articulate and calm on the phone, while her brother Zachary tended to their grandmother.”

Loar said the incident also highlighted the importance of teaching children about 911.

By Lamaur Stancil, TCPalm.com

Tags: beach, brother, child, children, fall, fines, grandmother, imported, kids, medical, paramedic, sheriff, siblings, teach

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