Award Given To Teen Who Administered CPR To 7 Year Old At Oologah Lake

A 19 year old has received a lifesaving award after giving CPR to a 7-year-old girl at Oologah Lake two weeks ago.

The girl’s mother said her daughter was swimming along the shore when she went under water.

Vernise Bustos brought her four kids to the lake to swim, but while they were splashing around, 7-year-old Betty disappeared in a flash.

Bustos said she started yelling for Betty and asked for people to help look for her. The oldest daughter found Betty under 3 feet of water and another person carried her to shore.

“When I got there, I just collapsed on the floor and started crying and yelling ‘please don't leave me,’” Bustos said. “She was brought out without life. She was blue."

That's when 19-year-old Deveion Birge ran over to give Betty CPR.

After a minute and a half, she started breathing and choking up water.

It's estimated she was under water for 5 minutes.

Bustos said she is thankful for Birge and says from now on, all of her kids will be wearing life jackets.

Tonight at 5, Melissa Hawkes will tell us what Betty has to say about her near-death experience.