Young lifesaver.

Twelve-year-old Tucson, Arizona, resident Viktor Chavira isn't even a teen and already he has helped save two people from drowning, most recently his own father.

According to an October 9, 2006 posting on the Tucson Citizen website, this past summer Viktor's cousin was playing in a pool when she began choking. Northwest Fire Captain Adam Goldberg told the Citizen that Viktor jumped into the pool and got her out. But this was only the beginning of his youthful career as a lifesaver.

On October 8, Viktor's father, Victor Chavira, had been cleaning their backyard pool "when he tripped over the family dog, hit his head on the deck and fell in." It is estimated that "he was in the pool 20 to 30 minutes" before Viktor happened to find him "floating face up."

As Viktor had done earlier for his cousin, he now bravely dove in to rescue his father, but in this case, Viktor was unable to pull his father out of the pool. Staying calm and thinking quickly, Viktor decided to go and call 911. "The dispatcher told Viktor to hold his dad's head above water until paramedics arrived at their home."

The elder Chavira is now recovering from his ordeal. Young Viktor's poise in the face of danger did not go unnoticed. "We're going to give him a job in about six years," Captain Goldberg remarked. "Where any other adult would be freaking out, this 12-year-old was cool as a cucumber."