New Jersey is home to countless heroic citizens. These citizens save numerous lives around our state. Children and teens that save people’s lives are examples of this. Everyone has been affected by a personal hero in his or her life, so I am honoring these exceptional New Jersey residents.
One such citizen, William Flynn, from Flemington, New Jersey, saved his grandmother’s 75-year-old guest from drowning six years ago. This child swam to the other side of the pool to where the man had recently jumped into the water. Once he noticed the man had not surfaced for a while, he looked down below the water. The man was unconscious at the bottom of the ten-foot-deep pool. To make matters worse, the guest had suntan lotion smeared all over him, making him hard for the child’s hands to grab. After working hard to get the man up to the top of the water, he asked his grandmother to hold the man’s head above the water. William then dialed 911, and he rushed back outside to help his grandmother. The paramedics that arrived took five minutes to revive the man. Thanks, to William, this man is still alive today. This is an admirable example of a courageous hero.
Yet another heroic New Jersey citizen is Guillermo Prescott. Four years ago, he helped residents in his housing complex to safety during a fire. He was 15 years old at the time. Guillermo saw smoke at the housing complex that was on his paper route. He then ran to the complex and woke everyone up. Knowing that he had no time to spare, Guillermo rushed to his friend’s house to call the police. Emergency Services would not arrive in time to save everyone, so he took this task upon himself. Guillermo helped everyone outside, and he helped a woman and two children who were having a hard time escaping to safety. After everyone was outside, Guillermo left and brought clothes for the shirtless children. Would you have done the same?
These children and teen saved lives because of their quick thinking. These ordinary people, with no thought for their own lives, helped friends, family, or complete strangers, and became extraordinary. They also received awards from the 2004 Dana Christmas Scholarship for Heroism, given out by the NJ HESAA (New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority) and all were awarded a $10,000 scholarship. The Dana Christmas Scholarship credits five New Jersey Citizens every year. Forever, the people they rescued will remember these children and teens. Truly, these are courageous, brave, and outstanding New Jersey citizens.
