Miami Lakes resident Rene Rovirosa, the principal at Mater Lakes Academy, was recognized at the December Town Council meeting for saving the life of 15-year-old sophomore Devon Octave. While in wrestling practice, Octave collapsed and went into sudden cardiac arrest.
Rovirosa began performing CPR. When fire fighter paramedics arrived at the scene, the student had stopped breathing and his pulse was lost. He was clinically dead for seven minutes. Mater Lakes Academy had just trained its staff six days before to become CPR certified.
“The Town Council and I were honored to pay tribute to this local leader and extend our appreciation for his heroic actions that saved the life of his student,” said Mayor Wayne Slaton.
“Rene Rovirosa’s experience in saving a student’s life truly comforts parents in knowing that principals aren’t only educators but they are ready to save the lives of our children if needed,” said Vice Mayor Manny Cid.
“As a firefighter/paramedic as well as a CPR instructor, I can tell you how important it is to have a rapid response to a cardiac arrest emergency,” said Councilmember Nelson Rodriguez. “Immediate CPR is the key to a great outcome. Principal Rovirosa along with the quick response of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue saved this young man’s life. Principal Rovirosa is a hero!”