Tomball native helps save man's life at Houston Rodeo

HOUSTON - A Texas A&M student jumped in to help to save one man's life while volunteering at the Houston Rodeo.

Ryan Vu told FOX 26 that one evening while serving on the Junior Volunteer Committee in the health clinic, a man informed them about another person nearby experiencing seizure-like symptoms. 

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The 20-year-old's EMT and first-aid training kicked in. Vu spotted the man lying on his side as he ran closer to the area.

"A volunteer or a bystander is just taking his pulse," said Vu. "And as I get closer around 10 feet, she says, "he has no pulse."

The Tomball native ran back to the clinic to grab an automated external defibrillator, or AED, from the clinic. He said he never used the device on an actual person, but remembered how to use it.

"I just do exactly what training taught me...open it up, put the pads on, turn on the device. And we did compressions for a little bit," said Vu.

The man began breathing shortly after and was taken care of by local medics. Ryan says this rescue further prepared him for what he calls his life's work.

"It makes me feel more prepared that I can just do this again if I need to. But hopefully, I don't have to do it again," said Vu. "Throughout all this training...to help someone else, I think it's just doing my duty, and doing what I need to do."

Vu told FOX 26 he has not heard directly from the man or his family, but he hears he's doing better. 

Vu is majoring in Community Health and just applied for the nursing program at Texas A&M.