Seth Goldstein was in the middle of a cross country meet in Memphis recently when he saw a runner drop to the ground in front of him. Everyone else kept running, but Goldstein knew better.
The 17-year-old noticed that the fallen runner's lips were turning blue and his eyes had rolled back in his head. He had had a seizure because of the stifling heat.
"I was terrified," Goldstein told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "But then I thought to myself, freaking out isn't going to help any here."
Goldstein, who has worked as a lifeguard, saw the runner had bitten his tongue and his mouth was bleeding. The Cooper Yeshiva High senior proceeded to roll the runner on his side so he wouldn't asphyxiate. Throughout the ordeal, Goldstein displayed poise beyond his years.
"Honestly, I was in shock," said Jessica Chandler, the mother of a friend of the fallen runner. "But [Goldstein] was taking complete control. He was like, 'You -- call 911. You -- go get some ice.' He turned him on his side. I thought he was a parent or an EMT."
Once the actual EMTs arrived, Goldstein's work was not done. He promptly finished the race and received huge cheers from the crowd.
"Everyone was clapping for me, like I was the chunky kid who couldn't finish," he said. "They were all cheering and saying, 'You can do it!' I'm thinking, 'C'mon, man!'"
