16-year-old Corion Evans was in the right place at the right time when a car full of three teenage girls drove into a river in Mississippi.
The powerful younger swimmer has been hailed as a hero after rescuing all three girls and a police officer who jumped in to help but swallowed water.
It was 2:30 in the morning at the I-10 boat ramp in Moss Point, Mississippi when the girls were following their GPS which led them down the boat ramp and into the water and started floating 25 yards out into Pascagoula River before it began to sink.
Their quick thinking managed to get them out of the car and onto the roof which is when Evans heard their cries for help. He immediately took off his shirt, shoes leaving his phone behind and dove right into the water.
When speaking with the local news he said, “I was just like, ‘I can’t let none of these folks die. ‘They need to get out the water’. So, I just started getting them, I wasn’t even thinking about nothing else.”
Gary Mercer officer at the Moss Point police department also jumped in to aid in the rescue. Unfortunately, he got too close to one of the struggling victims and one of them pushed him under causing him to inhale water.
Commenting on the incident Evans said, “I turned around. I see the police officer. He’s drowning. He’s going underwater, drowning, saying, ‘Help!” So, I went over there. I went and I grabbed the police officer and I’m like swimming him back until I feel I can walk.”
Evans friends Karen Bradley also jumped in to help and aided Evans to rescue the three girls and the officer.
Brandon Ashley Moss Point Chief said, “The police department and I commend Mr. Evans’s bravery and selflessness he displayed by risking his own safety to help people in danger. If Mr. Evans had not assisted, it could have possibly turned out tragically instead of all occupants rescued safely.”
Want to keep up with the latest news? Check out the rest of our articles here and for all things sports click here.
