Pastor Ricardo McKinley learned how to do CPR while in the military more than 30 years ago, but never had any reason to test his skills until Saturday.
A 3-year-old girl nearly drowned in a pool at the East County Transitional Living Center in the 1500 block of E. Main Street in El Cajon, El Cajon police confirmed.
She was with her older sister and friends at the pool area Saturday afternoon. When they packed up to head for dinner her sister started yelling that she was in the pool.
Her mother grabbed the unconscious girl out of the pool, and started screaming "Pastor Ricky help!"
Ricardo McKinley, the onsite pastor, whose front door is steps away from the pool, came outside.
“I came out, snatched the child from her, and I laid the child on the ground right there,” McKinley said. “God strategically placed me right here.”
The mom handed her off to him, and he started CPR.
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By the time paramedics arrived the girl had regained consciousness.
McKinley visited the girl at the hospital and said she is alive and breathing on her own but also very sleepy.
The girl's mother gave him a big hug and 'thank you,' he said.
“I’m just going on faith that she’s going to come through and she’ll be back at my door in a couple of days talking about lollipops,” MicKinley said.
