HUNTSVILLE — One man is still living and breathing today thanks to the knowledge and assistance of a local Girl Scout.

Zoe Burton, of Troop 10729, was coming back from Los Angeles on a trip with her church when they stopped at a gas station for a break. Zoe decided to stay on the bus during the break, but she could not have expected what was about to happen.

“Next thing I know, my mom comes (back on the bus) and she says, ‘Hey, Zoe, you have to perform CPR,’” Zoe recalled.

She quickly stood up and exited the bus. From there, Zoe joined a group of people tending to a man who had passed out in a car at the station.

“They pull him out and they put him on the ground, and this lady jumps down, and … she starts just going into CPR,” Zoe said.

As a seasoned Girl Scout, Zoe was familiar with CPR. She had learned how to perform the lifesaving action as part of earning her Girl Scouts First Aid badge. Zoe is also in the medical academy at Sparkman High School and has aspirations to become a pediatrician, so CPR was a skill she certainly had to acquire and master in the program. From her wealth of knowledge, Zoe knew right away that the woman was not going about the process correctly.

“I kind of instructed her on how to perform it correctly—the way you place your hand, the ratio that you have to do it at, the pace you have to do it at,” Zoe explained. “When he starts coughing and stuff, turn him on his side and things like that.”

A woman from Zoe’s church performed the CPR and was able to bring the man back to life before the ambulance arrived.

“I was very proud of her—the fact that she didn’t shy away when I came on the bus to tell her to come out and assist,” said Zoe’s mother, Annie Burton. “She came right on out, and she started vocally [helping with the CPR], so I’m real proud to know that she was actually learning a lot from Girl Scouts and from the school.”

Since Zoe became a Girl Scout, Annie said she has noticed her daughter become more of a leader who is not afraid to speak up when it’s needed.

As a Girl Scout, Zoe said she enjoys learning these kinds of life and leadership skills, as well as being a positive example to younger girls. Zoe cited her preparedness as what helped her remain calm and successfully assist in bringing the man back to life.

“Always be prepared,” she advised. “Don’t put off learning a new skill. You never know when you might need it.”