CT teen hero saves injured neighbor

CHESHIRE, Conn. (WHDH) -- A teenager in Connecticut is being called a hero after he put a life-saving school lesson to use to rescue his neighbor.

These days, Zach Dubois is treated like a star, not because the 14-year-old freshman is a great nose guard on the football field, but because of what he learned in health class.

“When I first got to health class, I was like oh when am I gonna use this; I’m not in a war zone or anything,” Dubois said.

On his walk home from school Wednesday, Zach saw his neighbor on the ground. The man had fallen off a ladder while using a chain saw.

“I knew from that class that I had to use pressure to cover the wound,” Zach said.

Zach used his health class knowledge, and the man's sweatshirt, to put pressure on the head wound then called 911 to deal with the rest of the injuries.

“The EMT told me that if I was a few minutes later or didn't walk home that night, he wouldn't be alive,” Dubois said.

“Thank goodness I had a student that listened well,” Health Department Chair Cathy Sullivan said. “He was attentive in class, asked the right questions and seemed to follow through quite well.”

Zach wants to be in the FBI when he gets older, and when the agency got word of his heroics, it sent Zach's principal an invitation for the hometown hero to see its special forces headquarters.

Zach’s neighbor is expected to be in the hospital for several more weeks and will need a number of surgeries. All agree, without Zach, he might not have made it.