When a surplus of rain caused the Oconee River levels to rise in Georgia, it spelled disaster for a group of teens enjoying a day of fun on the water. But God was on their side when the strong current swept one of the boys away.
A group of teenaged boys from Clarke Central High School in Georgia decided to spend a hot summer day out on the water.
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Everything was going great until the Oconee River levels started swelling. Suddenly, the group of young men found themselves in serious danger.
“It went from being about waist deep right next to the wall to at least 12 feet,” said one of the boys, Jakolbie Jones.
The teens hurried to climb the wall to safety. But one of the teens, Tyler Hall, couldn’t make it up in time.
“He tried to come up the wall. I guess when he stepped on it, the current took him and knocked his legs off from under him and he went off the side of the wall,” recalled Parker Sims.
It was a terrifying moment as Tyler disappeared under the rapidly rising Oconee River levels. His friends tried desperately to spot him in the rushing water with no success for several tense minutes.
“I said a quick prayer because I was going to jump into the water to see if I could grab Tyler and see if I could find him,” said another friend, Brodey Gray.
Once Brodey finished his prayer, Tyler’s body had finally resurfaced. It was floating in the water. And though the current caused by the rising Oconee River levels would put them in danger too, the boys didn’t hesitate to jump in to save their friend.
"That's our brother," Jakolbie said. "There's no way we're leaving him out here."
Tense Rescue After Oconee River Levels Rise
Things weren’t looking good as the teens pulled their friend’s lifeless body out of the river. He’d spent over 5 minutes underwater.
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“We pulled him away from the water, just in case. His face was purple, his legs were purple, no color. Just like a completely lifeless body,” Parker and Jakolbie said.
These two immediately started giving Tyler CPR. Meanwhile, Brodey called for paramedics and helped direct them to their location. And by the time the rescuers arrived, Tyler was sitting up and coughing up water.
After getting checked out at the hospital, Tyler was sent home to rest and recover. But doctors said the outcome would have been very different if not for the life-saving actions by Tyler’s friends. He wouldn’t have survived the strong current caused by the rising Oconee River levels.
Using the training they received in JROTC, these Clarke Central students saved the life of a friend. Their actions are a testament to their maturity, intelligence, and ability to apply learned skills. We are so proud of them!!! #clarkecentralhttps://t.co/lDUuT8Gv0B
- Clarke Central High School (@clarkecentral) August 12, 2020
These boys are certainly heroes. But they know a divine hand was involved, too.
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“We had a guardian angel or God was on our side,” Jakolbie said.
Praise God for these brave young men and that Tyler is safe!
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h/t: The Epoch Times
Featured Image: FOX Atlanta