SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota Army National Guard soldier from Milbank has received the South Dakota Medal of Valor for an act of heroism while saying a child’s life.

Maj. Jason Kettwig and his family were relaxing next to the pool at a Marshall, Minn., hotel in October when he heard a scream. Kettwig saw a mother diving into the pool to get her unconscious daughter, and he helped pull the girl out of the water.

After noticing she had no pulse and had turned blue, he began CPR. The girl started gasping for air after two-to-three minutes of compressions.

Kettwig serves with the 139th Brigade Support Battalion of Brookings.

He credits the combat lifesaver training he received through the military and his local community for his ability to react.

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