Teenager Jumps Into Canal To Save His Elderly Neighbor's Life

Apr 29, 2019 by apost team

When 84-year-old Benigno "Ben" Barrera went to feed popcorn to the ducks in a canal in Nampa, Idaho he couldn't have suspected the act would nearly cost him his life. Ben is an epileptic, and the condition negatively affects his balance. Upon attempting to spread the popcorn, he fell into the canal and could not rise back out of the water.

“I started saying, 'Help, help, help!' really loud," Ben said, according to KTVB 7.

Those cries were heard by two boys, Brandon Hines and Lewis Henson, 10 and 11 years old. Brandon ran to get his mother, who called 911. Lewis, too, looked for help, and found the 14-year-old James Rine and his stepfather, Michael Hart, nearby.

“I got them because I didn’t know if [Brandon's] mom and him were going to make it back in time," Lewis told KTVB 7. "I was thinking, he needs help, and we have to act quick."

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That quick thinking likely saved Ben's life. By the time Lewis returned with James, Ben's head was almost fully submerged beneath the water, which he struggled to keep from running into his mouth and lungs. James didn't hesitate to jump in beside the struggling elderly man.

“I seen him down there, and I was like, this guy needs help, and I jumped in the water," James told KTVB 7.

"Nothing really went through my head, I was just like, I got to do it.”

Michael lowered a pole into the water, allowing Ben to grab hold of it. For the next 15 minutes, James held Ben above the surface, waiting for paramedics and firefighters to arrive. James would remain in that waist-deep water for a further 15 minutes, while first responders worked to pull Ben up and out of the canal.

“After the fact, I was like, I just saved a guy’s life. That’s pretty cool. That’s like a once in a lifetime thing.” James told KTVB 7. 

An ambulance rushed Ben to the hospital. Without a single broken bone or any major injury, though, he remained there for only three hours. A week later, he reunited with his rescuers, who were relieved to find him in good condition. According to KTVB 7, Ben referred to Michael and all three boys as literal answers to his prayers, saying, "They're like guardian angels."

What do you think of the heroism shown by each of Ben's rescuers? How would you have reacted? Let us know in the comments and don't forget to pass this article along to your loved ones!