Whitman Boys Honored For Helping Rescue Drowning Man On Hobard Pond
WHITMAN (CBS) – Three Whitman boys were honored Tuesday after their actions led to the rescue of a man in Hobart Pond.
Eugene Hamilton, 13, Conal Morris, 12, and Neil French, 14, were near the pond on Saturday, June 6, when they heard a splash and saw a man face-down in the water.
"We were there within seconds of hearing the splash and knew we had to act quickly," Hamilton said. "There was no one else around."
Morris jumped into the water and held the man up while Hamilton and French called 911.
"I was in shock and really freaked out and scared at first, but then I thought to myself, 'I can stop this. I can help him survive,'" Morris said.
The 63-year-old Whitman man was stabilized and pulled from the water by rescue personnel and transported to a nearby hospital.
Sergeant Patrick Burtt-Henderson, who was one of the first officers on the scene, said the boys' actions saved the man's life.
"What they did was really outstanding and was a testament to them and a testament to their parents," Burtt-Henderson said. "It's not every day you see boys their age do something like this in that type of situation."
All three boys received the Lifesaving Award from the Whitman Police and Fire departments. The award read: "In recognition of the immediate action taken on June 6, 2020, to summon assistance as well as perform life-saving measures that resulted in the successful rescue of a man in the water at Hobart Pond."
