West High student honored for quick action that saved the life of an injured motorist
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Felix Ortiz is honored during Senate floor time. Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake, presented a citation to the West High School student for his heroic actions in saving the life of a man who suffered a medical emergency and crashed his car. Ortiz initiated CPR on the victim at the scene of the Feb. 19 crash.
Felix Ortiz, a West High School junior, was honored Thursday on the floor of the Utah Senate for his quick action to save the life of a car-crash victim in Salt Lake City earlier this week.
Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, presented a citation to honor Ortiz.
The young hero on Tuesday pulled over at a crash on the 600 north on-ramp to northbound I-15, where a car had flipped over. Approaching the car before first responders arrived, Ortiz spotted a man inside who had started to foam at the mouth and turn purple.
Without hesitation, Ortiz pulled the man — who had suffered a medical emergency before crashing — from the car and checked for a pulse. Not finding one, he performed CPR – the first time he had done so on a person after taking a class on the procedure.
He was able to get the man breathing and he was taken to the hospital.
For over 150 years, The Salt Lake Tribune has been Utah’s independent news source. Our reporters work tirelessly to uncover the stories that matter most to Utahns, from unraveling the complexities of court rulings to allowing tax payers to see where and how their hard earned dollars are being spent. This critical work wouldn’t be possible without people like you—individuals who understand the importance of local, independent journalism. As a nonprofit newsroom, every subscription and every donation fuels our mission, supporting the in-depth reporting that shines a light on the is sues shaping Utah today.
You can help power this work.