NH Teen Helps Save W.Va. Boy After Seeing ATV Accident on TikTok

A New Hampshire teenager is credited with saving a life 800 miles away.

Like most 13-year-olds, Caden Cotnoir spends plenty of time on social media. On Sunday, his screen time took an unexpected turn.

He was watching live video on TikTok of a 12-year-old boy four-wheeling near his home in West Virginia. Suddenly, Cotnoir saw the ATV flip over and heard a voice crying out for help.

In video sent to NBC10 Boston from Cotnoir's family, the 12-year-old can be heard gasping for air for several minutes.

"I can barely breathe — somebody call 911," he can be heard saying.

"That was probably the hardest part, to listen to him just praying someone was there to help him," Cotnoir said.

As soon as the fallen rider started repeating a phone number, Cotnoir jumped into action.

"That's when I knew we could do something about it," he said.

He brought his phone to his mom and his stepfather, Matthew Currier — who happens to be the police chief where they live in Gilmanton, New Hampshire.

"We were able to finally write down this number and make a phone call," Currier said.

Within 20 minutes, they were able to contact the boy's family. His parents found him on a trail, trapped under his ATV. He was struggling to breathe but was otherwise uninjured.

"He called me back later that night and just kept thanking me and said he wanted to give me all his money, but I said I wasn't going to take it," Cotnoir said.

He and his family are grateful that TikTok connected the boys as the clock was ticking.

"Everything lined up just so," Currier said. "Someone was watching out and had Caden in the right place, and it worked out perfect."

"I mean, I am just happy that I could help," Cotnoir said. "That's all."

Cotnoir says he follows the boy on social media because they both love four-wheeling, hunting and fishing.

They'd never spoken over the phone before, but Cotnoir says they've been in touch several times since the incident over the weekend.