Neenah High School sophomore Kendra Willis had no idea she'd be a hero.Wednesday, although she was a hero-in-training. During a lifeguard course at the high school, students were preparing for waterfront certification, which includes deep water searches with snorkels and fins.

Willis, 15, her classmates and physical education teacher Mike Schuelke spotted someone at the bottom of the pool.

"He was kind of jerking," Willis said. "That's why we thought he might be faking it. I took a second look and saw bubbles coming out of his mouth. There was a little hesitation but I decided that even if he was faking, itwas better to go down than not."

James Thomas, 15, had been sitting on the edge of the pool when he lost consciousness, falling into the pool. He had been under water about 30 seconds. Since she was closest, Willis dove, retrieving Thomas. "We had done the scenarios in class but haven't been in a real-life situation," Willissaid. "It was weird. In class, you can screw up but this time it was like, "I have to do it right the first time. It was rather nerve-racking."

As Willis resurfaced with a semi-conscious Thomas, she passed him to Schuelke.

"It was everything I learned," Willis said. "When I got to the surface, I remembered everything I should be calling and called it out."

Willis, shaken, sat away from Thomas. The rest of the class, under Schuelke's supervision, called for medical assistance and monitored the victim. "He never lost breathing until we turned him on his back," Schuelke said. "We had to open his airway and he started breathing again."

All the hard work got some prompt attention. "When you think what could have happened and what did not happen because of the prompt response of Mr. Schuelke and the classmates, I can't say enough for about what was done," said the victim's father, Mike Thomas. "He had been suffering from a bad headache, a possible migraine," his father said. "I think, as a layman speaking, it was a combination of the flu he had a week ago and the headache. He may have been hyperventilating and all of it caused him to briefly become dizzy, disoriented and faint."

Schuelke, too, said the training paid off. "It went so fast and smooth and according to what you prepare for," Schuelke said. "My reaction was, 'Wow, that was good, that was a good rescue.' How they responded made me feel good because the kids are prepared."

Thomas spent the night in the hospital for observation and testing. "At this point we have ruled out a lot of things," his father said. "We may not ever know what happened."

Thomas says his son is eager to get back to school and will continue in his lifeguard class.

Thomas was expected to leave the hospital Thursday and to attend school today.