13-Year-Old Boy Hailed Hero After Saving Best Friend from Drowning at Pool Party
A truly amazing story of quick-thinking and bravery is showing that one young man from Georgia is a hero at just 13 years old.
Kaleb Reeves and his best friend Nick Williams were at a pool party together over Memorial Day weekend when things went horribly wrong.
Someone else at the party pushed Nick into the deep end of the pool, not knowing he couldn’t swim. When Nick did not resurface, the fun and games turned serious.
Kaleb knew Nick wasn’t a swimmer. When he noticed what had happened, he told WSB-TV he was “confused, because I’ve never seen him get in the water.”
That’s when Kaleb took matters into his own hands.
“I dove in and grabbed him, and I pulled him up,” Kaleb told WSB-TV. “I got up under him and pushed him out of the water.”
After Nick was removed from the pool, a mom performed CPR. The young man was taken to Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Atlanta where he has recovered and since been released.
“I’m just very proud of him,” April Reeves, Kaleb’s mom, told WXIA-TV. “I just see that the Lord put Kaleb in the right place, at the right time, and it’s a blessing that everything turned out alright and that Nick is here with us.”
The community is now calling Kaleb a hero. He said he’s been getting tons of new friend requests and that being called a hero “feels good.”
April Reeves told Liftable, a section of The Western Journal, that though her son has never done anything like this in the past, he’s “always been Supportive of his friends … he always puts his friends first. He is a very loving caring and kind boy.”
She calls him “one of those kids with a big heart” who sticks up for kids who are being bullied. Reeves also mentioned Kaleb has tried to teach Nick how to swim before.
Stories like this one often end in tragedy, which is why it’s so important to be prepared and aware whenever you or your loved ones are around a body of water.
“It’s never too early to teach your children basic life saving skills,” Reeves, who works in the medical field, told Liftable.
“Anything can happen and this is one of those situations that you don’t plan on happening.”
Drowning is often silent- no kicking, no screaming. Here’s some great summer reminders from @childrensatl! @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/EKZxb5VDET
— Linda Stouffer (@LindaWSB) May 28, 2019
Thankfully, in this case, Nick had his best friend there to save the day. Reeves said he hasn’t had any special training, but he’s a great listener and has learned that way.
“Don’t think, just act,” Kaleb told Liftable. “Don’t be scared to react.”
It’s because of this belief that Kaleb and Nick are now together again and their friendship is stronger than ever.
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