ORLANDO, Fla. — Three young boys are being hailed heroes for their quick actions after they saw a swimmer in distress in an Orlando pond.
Officials said firefighters responded to reports of a body in the pond at the intersection of Westmoreland Drive and Gore Street around 3:45 p.m.
The three boys, two 10-year-olds and a 9-year-old, saw the victim struggling in the lily pads so they ran across the street to the fire department.
“We were yelling for him to get out of the water. Then he tried to get out of the water and he got caught in a lily pad,” said Kevin Lewis, 9.
Freeman Robinson, 10, said he acted fast when he saw the man struggling.
Robinson said he directed his two friends, Devonta Hall, 10, and Marion Lukes, 10, to run across the street to an Orlando EMS division.
“The lady was like, ‘What’s the problem? What’s the problem?’ So that’s when we told her what happened,” said Hall.
Lt. Jason Revoldt of the Orlando Fire Department ran back to the pond with boys and dove in with Lt. Ken Rinaldi close behind.
“I called out to him, no response. I went in there and got hold of him. We pulled him ashore, and with the assistance of Lt. Rinaldi, got him to the shore and handed him off to EMS crews,” Revoldt said.
Firefighters said the man wasn’t conscious when they pulled him out and got him in an ambulance, but regained a pulse after life-saving efforts.
The boys said helping rescue the man is an experience they’ll likely never forget.
“I never saved somebody’s life before,” said Hall.
“I feel really happy because it’s like, my first time helping somebody out,” said Lukes.
Fire responders said they don’t know why the man went into the pond.
Police closed South Westmoreland Drive while they worked at the scene.
Dispatchers would not elaborate on the condition of the man, who was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center.
WFTV
