Eleven- and Twelve-Year-Old Mims, Florida Residents Honored with VITA™ Wireless Samaritan Award

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A potential tragedy was averted when eleven-year-old Layne Cayton and twelve-year-old Brendan Maher of Mims, Florida used a wireless device to call 911 and help save Tony Cayton, Layne's father. Due to their lifesaving actions, The Wireless Foundation and CTIA-The Wireless Association® honored them with a VITA™ Wireless Samaritan Award at the 17th Annual Achievement Awards dinner on Monday, June 6.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100629/DC28223LOGO-b)    

Tony Cayton was helping Layne and his Little League Baseball teammate, Brendan Maher, with batting practice when Tony collapsed on home plate. The two boys raced to Tony's side, dialed 911 on his cellphone and administered CPR. An off-duty EMT and another player's mother gave first aid until the paramedics arrived. Doctors confirmed that Tony's heart had stopped, but that the immediate assistance and the quick thinking of Layne and Brendan were crucial in his recovery.

"As Layne and Brendan can attest, the lifesaving convenience of wireless technology in an emergency situation helped prevent a tragedy. The VITA Wireless Samaritan Awards are a great reminder that while wireless devices provide a variety of benefits, at their core, they are public safety tools," said Steve Largent, president of The Wireless Foundation and president and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association.

The awards are presented annually to recognize Americans who used wireless technology to save lives, stop crime and help in other emergency situations. Recipients are the epitome of good Samaritans who put safety first and use wireless to help those in need. With more than 300,000 wireless phone calls made to 911 every day, the awards also reinforce the crucial role wireless technology plays in emergencies.

Thanks to their lifesaving actions, Layne Cayton and Brendan Maher were selected by a panel of law enforcement and emergency response representatives. There were nine VITA Wireless Samaritan Award recipients from across the nation.

The Wireless Foundation is a non-profit organization that was formed by member companies of CTIA-The Wireless Association® in 1991.

The Foundation oversees a number of programs designed to put wireless technology to work addressing the challenges of society.

www.wirelessfoundation.org

SOURCE The Wireless Foundation