posted October 06, 2026

Family of 4-year-old Jameson Aguilar gave thanks to those who helped him beat the odds

San Antonio, TX. – October 6, 2026 – Vacation time at a Concan Air B&B took a deadly turn when then three-year-old Jameson Aguilar fell into the home’s pool and drowned. His father pulled him from the bottom of the pool, then his mother began CPR. Thanks to the family’s fast action and the expert care provided by several agencies, Aguilar has made a full recovery. On Friday, Oct. 2, at the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) headquarters in San Antonio, the family reunited with those involved in saving his life to say thanks and to celebrate the fourth birthday he missed while he was in a coma in the hospital.

“On July 28,2026, our crew was dispatched to what is every first responder’s worst nightmare—a child drowning. When we arrived, we had one goal in mind, and that was saving that child,” said Concan Fire and EMS Chief Justin Wills. “The family had already started CPR, and those first few minutes matter more than people realize. Their heroic actions gave us something to work with when we arrived.”

Concan Fire and EMS credited the multiple people who helped perform CPR with restarting the boy’s heart. When AirLIFE TEXAS arrived, their critical care clinicians intubated Aguilar and transported him via helicopter to University Hospital in San Antonio where doctors successfully used a trial therapy that contributed to the boy’s full and miraculous recovery.

“Jameson’s story shows what can happen when every link in the chain works,” said Air Methods Area Manager Joel Ramirez. “His family didn’t wait for someone else to save him – they started CPR. Concan Fire and EMS arrived and continued the fight. Our AirLIFE TEXAS crew brought the next level of critical care to Jameson’s side, and the team at University Hospital carried him the rest of the way. Every one of those pieces mattered.”

AirLIFE TEXAS’ helicopter functions like a flying ICU, carrying best-in-class flight nurses and paramedics equipped with the medications and tools needed to provide hospital-level care in the air for trauma victims, as well as those experiencing cardiac, stroke, and other medical emergencies. AirLIFE TEXAS is part of Air Methods, the nation’s leading emergency air medical service provider.

“The fact that [the family] had a pulse back within minutes of the drowning is incredible. Without that, his brain wouldn’t have made it,” said University Hospital Pediatric Critical Care Physician Dr. Daniel Gebhard. “It is very important for the community to learn basic skills that can save your family member.”

The gathering was very meaningful to all of the teams involved in Aguilar’s care who rarely get to hear how their patients recover. Seeing how well he is doing and celebrating his recovery helped them see firsthand the difference they make to the community.

“We are so happy to be a part of this, to see that he’s made such a great recovery, and to celebrate with his family,” said AirLIFE TEXAS Flight Nurse Abigail Lewis who organized the event. “We don’t usually get to see what happens after we transport the patient to the hospital, so it is great to see how everything came together.”

One message was continually repeated throughout the event: CPR saves lives. Each agency emphasized the importance of being trained to administer this critical procedure. “I was told how to do CPR but I had never physically done it or had classes. I just started reacting. I never thought I’d be doing it to my kid,” said Aguilar’s mother, Gloria Perales. “I knew he was gone when we pulled him out. I tried what I could to help him, but I felt like I wasn’t doing much, so their very fast response—from EMS to AirLIFE to the doctors and nurses —I know that’s why he’s here. I’m so thankful for everyone.”