It was a hot July day in 2000. My husband, Mark, was working a festival that day and I had plans to go to my sisters to swim. Just before I was set to leave the phone rang. It was my brother-in-law, who also works with my husband, telling me I needed to get to the hospital right away they took Mark in. My brother-in-law said Mark was fine but they needed to check him. When I got to the hospital one of Mark’s bosses met me there and began to explain what happen.
Mark was helping setup for the yearly festival when he came out of a pumping station and saw a man who had swam about 100 yards (about the length of a football field) out into the Lake to retrieve a beach ball. The man was in distress and was drowning. His family and friends were there yelling from the beach. Mark fully clothed, dropped his city radio, his cell phone, yelled to one of the guys to call 911 and swam out to him. The man was barely afloat when Mark reached him. The man kept trying to climb on top of Mark nearly pulling him under. Several times Mark had to let the man go and then dove in under water to try to grab him. After a few struggles Mark was able to get the man closer to shore where a group of people had formed a chain to help. They took both Mark and the man to the hospital for precautionary reasons and the man went home. Mark ended up being admitted overnight because of his heart rate.
When I finally got to the room to see Mark he seemed fine, just very tired. I noticed his wet clothes laying on the chair and his boots were on the floor. When I looked down at his boots I quickly looked at Mark and asked if he had his boots on when he swam out that far. He said he did. These were steel toed boots on a man who swam out 100 yards, struggling with a drowning man, pulling him back another 100 yards to shore and saves his life.
To this day I can’t envision how he did it. Mark is a very good swimmer and loves the water but to do what he did and in steel toed boots is just unbelievable.
Mark doesn’t remember anything other then seeing the man going under, then dropping his radio, cell phone and swimming out. He didn’t think about anything or anyone else.
Later that year, Mark received a phone call from the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission who wanted to award Mark with the Carnegie Medal of Honor and a monetary grant. Mark was truly honored to be recognized for something he thought you have to do when someone is in trouble.
Mark and I decided to donate the money to the local YMCA and Boy’s and Girl’s Club.
If you know a hero and would like to nominate them for such an award visit the Carnegie Hero Fund. You can also read some amazing stories about of other heroes who have risked their lives for another.
Proud to be …
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s an awesome story – I’m glad that there are people in the world like Mark and my husband that act to help others without thinking about their safety and comfort first.
That’s a wonderful story. You always wonder what you would do if you saw someone in trouble. I would hope, were it me in the position to do the saving, I would do what Mark did.
What an amazing story. Not only did Mark risk his life, but you guys donated the money he got for doing it! You may need to change your site to the heroswife.net
Wow! congrats to Mark on the medal, but also for being a true hero. He definitely risked his own life there… Darn people when they are drowning hey? Wish they could relax and let people saving them have an easier time of it!~thank goodness it had a great ending. A special guy for sure.
What a great thing that Mark did. Kudos to both of you for donating the money. A great story that is for sure.
Just found your site and like it!
Keep up the good content.
Ste
http://www.falconryworld.com
Thanks everyone for your kind words. And “theheroeswife.net” sounds like a good idea. Maybe postings of all of the great things people do for others??? hmmm….
That is awesome! I got chill bumps when I started reading this story. Mark is truely special for doing that. And for yall to donate the money to the YMCA is just a really kind thing to do. Great story!
Thanks Adam. I still get chill bumps thinking of him with steel toed boots on.
that is an amazing story (and an amazing feat to swim that far in steel toe boots)! It is great to hear that there are people who still think of others even before themselves…it is a dying breed today. Congrats on the award, and kudos for donating the monetary award to a worthy cause!