2 Massachusetts girls rescue man who nearly drowned with metal detector in hand, officials say

SHARON, Mass. — Two Massachusetts girls are being hailed as heroes after officials said they rescued a man who nearly drowned in a Sharon lake.

According to WFXT, Brooke Botelho, 11, and her friend, Jessica Buchsbaum, 12, were hanging out Saturday afternoon on Lake Massapoag when they saw a man in distress about 30 yards into the lake.

“We were walking back from getting our stuff. We heard someone calling for help,” Brooke told the news outlet.

Sharon fire officials said the man, who is in his 50s, was using a metal detector in the water and had apparently stepped off a sharp drop on the lake bed.

“It’s really uneven; it’s rocky. So he had fallen off,” Jessica said.

Jessica said her swimming skills kicked in.

The girls followed their instinct, which was to save the man.

“On our way out, we were yelling to him, ‘Float on your back. It’s going to be OK,’” Jessica said.

“I wasn’t scared at the moment because he needed help. We were in the moment to save him,” Brooke added.

On Tuesday, the girls will be officially recognized by the town for their act.

As for the man, he was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

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Cox Media Group