Do you remember the first job you ever had?
Many of us probably got our first when we were in our early to mid-teens. It’s an important rite of passage when it comes to becoming an adult and it teaches us a lot of skills. Beyond learning how to deal with people and show up on time, it also lets us experience what it’s like to be under pressure. For most teen jobs, there isn’t a whole lot at stake most of the time. Mostly, teens just need to listen to their boss and be nice to customers.
Still, sometimes these jobs can lead to something out of the ordinary.
The story took place in Sycamore Township, Ohio at a local restaurant called Skyline Chili.
It was 16-year-old Austin Goddard’s second day of work at the restaurant and it began like any other. Goddard was just doing his job, completing responsibilities like bussing tables and refilling ice containers. Still, something caught his eye during this process. There was a man sitting a table who appeared to be struggling and needed help.
The situation quickly became an emergency.
The restaurant staff asked if anyone knew how to do CPR—and fortunately, Goddard sprang into action.
The customer, Larry, had collapsed where he was sitting. After a few moments of CPR, Larry came back to life and was rushed off-site to the hospital by a team of medics. Fortunately for Goddard, he and his entire class had learned CPR in high school that previous year. “My adrenaline was going and fear wasn’t a factor in the moment,” Goddard said. “It all kind of kicked in [afterwards] and I was like, ‘Wow.’”
Luckily, 74-year-old Larry was ok thanks to Goddard’s intervention.
After his recovery, Larry even sent Goddard a special thank you card for his efforts.
According to Sarah Sicking, the director of marketing at Skyline Chili, the company is taking pains to make sure Goddard’s heroism is recognized. “We are just so proud of Austin for taking care of our customer,” Sicking said. “He took [it] above and beyond and saved a man’s life. It takes a lot of courage and it was only his second day of work.” While we usually think of day jobs and other tasks as mundane and unimportant, Goddard’s story shows that we can still be of huge service to those around us—even when we least expect it.
Nice job, Austin!
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