In an extraordinary display of courage and quick thinking, two young Michigan boys saved a 7-year-old child from drowning in an apartment swimming pool.
Noah Roche, 12, and his 8-year-old brother, Weston Woods, were enjoying a day at the pool when they noticed young Griffin Emerson drifting towards the pool’s deep end. Griffin had been playing with his floaties but had taken them off and was trying to swim.
“I just wanted to prove myself. Like, yeah, I can actually swim and stuff,” Griffin recalled. However, Griffin was seen struggling to keep his head above the water, unnoticed by the others around him.
Noah, spotting Griffin’s trouble, enlisted his brother’s help. “I saw him at the bottom of the pool and then I didn’t know if he was just playing down there or something. So I just told Weston to get in and dive down to see if he’s OK,” Noah stated. Following Noah’s intuition, Weston quickly jumped into the pool and pulled Griffin to the surface.
Upon seeing the scene, Sylese Roche, Noah and Weston’s mother, made an urgent call to 911. She reported that Griffin wasn’t breathing, had turned blue, and was being administered CPR. “[Griffin’s] mom ran over to him and instantly started CPR,” Roche recalled. In a breath-holding moment, Griffin finally started to breathe again and his mother can be seen comforting him as he expelled the pool water.
“I was scared I was gonna drown. It felt all weird. I spit out some water and that’s it,” Griffin said about the harrowing ordeal. Thanks to the swift actions of the young heroes and those present, Griffin made a full recovery within 36 hours.
Genesee County Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson was full of praise for the bravery displayed by Noah and Weston. The Sheriff’s Office honored the young brothers in a special ceremony where they were reunited with Griffin and first responders.
“By getting him to breathe on his own that fast, that’s the best possible outcome. And that’s why we celebrate the story,” Sheriff Swanson affirmed. The young heroes were gifted a sheriff’s star badge, a collection of books, and $100 each.
Expressing his heartfelt gratitude, Griffin’s grandfather, Tom Kinczkowski, acknowledged the boys’ heroism. “Weston and Noah, you know, they hold a special place in my heart. And they basically saved Griffin. A lot of my heroes don’t wear capes. And they are two of them,” he stated emotionally.
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 (NIV)
