Troop 226 leader and scout in the news

Today's Tribune & Georgian tells the story of how one of our Troop 226 Venture Crew leaders and scouts saved a man from drowing. The story by our own Jill Helton Father, son save man from drowning tells of Conn and Nicholas Cole's life-saving outing. They were at Fort Clinch State Park with waters well wipped up by Hurricane Hanna offshore. Nicholas saw the swimmer in distress and his dad used a boogie board to effect a rescue. Jill writes,

Conn Cole was able to fight past the breaking waves, he was pulled out to sea by the rip current just as the swimmer had been. As he approached the man in the water, Conn Cole also was tired from fighting the sea. But he pressed on toward the swimmer, who was now starting to slip under the water.

"I didn't realize how far out he really was until I got out there," he said. "I remember thinking I just hope I can get to him in time."

Nicholas Cole said everyone was relieved to see his dad help the man up onto the board. At that point, they were about 100 yards from the beach.

"We knew Dad had the guy and everything was going to be OK," he said.

By the time his dad hit the surf, he had probably been in the water 25 minutes or more. Conn Cole said the man identified himself as James Bennett and said he had been swimming and enjoying the waves and just got swept out too far from shore.

"The guy was so exhausted he could barely stand [when he finally reached the beach]," Nicholas Cole said.

Bennett's family and friends, who had not realized what had happened until it was over, rushed over to two men. An ambulance arrived several minutes later and Bennett was taken to the Fernandina. Conn Cole said was unable to get any information about Bennett because of medical privacy laws, but the medical staff did tell him that the man was released later that night.

Nicholas Cole said he has a new level of respect for his dad because of his selfless act.

"For him to risk his own safety to do something like that, that's pretty cool," he said. "If we had acted one minute later, I don't think he would have reached him in time."

We give thanks for Nicholas' sharp eyes and Conn's brave action that saved the life of a swimmer.

Tribune & Georgian photo by Alan Nesmith.

Troop 226 at Camp

Our own Boy Scout Troop is also at summer camp this week with 25 boys and leaders having made the trip to North Carolina. They have set up a blog of their camp experience which is at t226-summercamp.blogspot.com So while life goes on as usual at King of Peace with the day school busy as usual and our regular worship services, Narcotics Anonymous and the like, there are six of us up at camp at Honey Creek and another 25 at camp in North Carolina. It's a full week of ministry for our church, making memories that will last the teens a lifetime.

Bridging

Our Webelos began this evening by a camp fire with Cub Scouts, then crossed a rope bridge in front of the church to arrive at the Boy Scout camp fire. It was an awesome evening for our own Boy Scout Troop 226.