TAMPA, Fla. — A Hillsborough County father who saved his son after he was struck by lightning was honored by The Tampa Bay Lightning this week.
Derek Stock was recognized as an AdventHealth Goal Getter during Tuesday's game at Amalie Arena. He is dedicated to spreading awareness about the importance of CPR and encourages people to take a class to learn the life-saving procedure.
In June of 2022, his son, Levi, was struck by lightning when the family was on a boat. They noticed storm clouds in the distance and started to make their way back to the Williams Park Boat Ramp in Riverview.
Levi was struck and fell into the water.
"Fell into the water and just reacted, I jumped in after him, thankful I found him, and luckily there was another boat nearby that got him up in that boat, and I immediately started CPR from that point," said Derek Stock.
Derek performed CPR until paramedics and deputies arrived. Another family member called 911.
"I did compressions on the boat. They pulled it to shore. I kept compressions going on shore; it felt like an eternity, but from the time she called to the time EMT showed up, it was 4 minutes," he said.
Derek said his career started in the utility industry and required him to become CPR-certified. He also coaches youth football in Hillsborough County. It's a yearly requirement to become trained in CPR.
"The American Heart Association has a goal of one person in every household get trained in CPR, and I’ve been really supporting that as much as I can just to get the word because they’re really no downside, and you’d hate for some event to happen and you don't know how to respond," said Derek.
The family attended the Tampa Bay Lightning game. Levi received an autographed jersey signed by Andrei Vasilevskiy.
He said it was neat to see his father in front of the crowd.
"That was pretty cool, seeing him talk on the big screen. I also got another jersey signed by Vasilevskiy, which was cool, and they won," said Levi.
Levi has made a full recovery. He has also learned CPR.
He said his parents bought him a bearded dragon after the accident, a pet he always wanted.
"My legs did have some pain in them. It destroyed all the nerves. Today, I'm doing fine, running around, playing sports," he said.
"Put your faith in Jesus and get trained in CPR because it can be a life or death situation," he added.
February is American Heart Month. For more information on CPR, visit here.
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