A teenage boy jumped into a lake to save his 5-year-old sister with autism after she went missing near the water in Florida.
Have you ever wondered how we’d react in an emergency? Would we freeze up or spring into action? Most of us hope we’d have the courage to help, but we never really know until that moment arrives.
The truth is, God gives us exactly what we need when we need it most. This Florida teenager didn’t have time to think about being brave. He just saw his sister in danger and acted.
On Monday, Oct. 6, a 5-year-old girl with autism wandered away from her family at Lake Lisa Park. She can’t speak, which made the situation even scarier. Someone spotted her in the lake and called 911 at 3:30 p.m.
Pasco County deputies rushed to the scene. But when they arrived, the girl’s 17-year-old brother had already jumped in the water. He found his sister caught in tree branches hanging over the lake. The teen held her safe on a branch while standing in the water below.
The sheriff’s office shared body camera footage of the rescue. A deputy ran toward a group of women who pointed him to the lake. He jumped over a fence and saw the siblings in the water.
“She’s awake and talking,” the brother told the deputy.
The girl had gotten stuck between several branches. The deputy climbed onto the largest branch behind the teen. “I’m right behind you!” he called out.
“Give me her left hand,” the deputy said. “Pull her up.”
The brother worked to free his sister from the smaller branches. She giggled as he pulled her loose. She tried to grab onto twigs, but he got her into his arms.
“I got her! I got her!” the teen shouted. “Thank God I’m standing on soil!”
The sheriff’s office praised the young man. “The Pasco Sheriff’s Office commends the 17-year-old brother for his courageous actions,” they wrote on Facebook.
WATCH: Bodycam Video Shows Deputy Rushing to Save Young Girl with Autism
