14-year-old saw a man drowning in the Yellow River and recalled a technique he practiced on calves — did the unthinkable before help arrived
A split-second decision can save a life. One summer camping trip took an unexpected turn when a 14-year-old Montana boy found himself in the right place at the right time. According to the report by KTVQ News posted on July 20, 2026, the teen relied on a skill he had spent the past year learning on his family's ranch to rescue a man who was struggling to stay afloat in the Yellowstone River.
Jory Thomas had been casually practicing with his lariat while visiting a campground with his family when the peaceful afternoon suddenly turned chaotic. A boat slammed into a bridge pillar, throwing several people into the Yellowstone River. While three managed to make it back to shore, one person was left clinging to a cooler as the powerful current swept him farther downstream. Knowing there wasn't time to wait for emergency crews, Jory emptied his pockets, ran through the water, and remembered the same roping technique he had spent months practicing on calves. On his very first throw, he caught the drowning man with his rope, allowing him to pull the man safely to shore before first responders arrived.
Sweet Grass County Sheriff Alan Ronneberg later told Cowboy State Daily he believed the teen had saved the man's life, adding that the chances of the latter making it to shore without Jory's quick actions were "very slim." Jory's father, Jase Thomas, immediately called 911 as the rescue unfolded. But by the time the first sheriff's deputy arrived just minutes later, the man had already been pulled safely out of the river. Looking back, the boy said he didn't think about the danger he was putting himself in. Instead, he was focused on reaching the man before the fast-moving current carried him any farther downstream. "The only thing I could focus on was helping him get out of the water because I didn't want to see anyone go in front of me," he recounted.
Although the rescue looked almost unbelievable, it wasn't just luck. Jory had spent the past year learning how to rope on his family's ranch, practicing on roping dummies and later on calves during local brandings. His grandmother even pointed out that he had never brought his lariat on camping trips before, making the story even more remarkable. While sharing about the rescue, the boy said he never imagined a skill he learned to help with cattle would one day help save a person's life.
Unexpected rescues in life-threatening situations have happened before. In another case, a Florida fisherman helped save a drowning teenage girl who was caught in a current, even though he couldn't swim himself. Instead of jumping into the water, he tied a flotation device to his fishing drone and flew it out to her. After his second try, the girl grabbed onto it and stayed afloat until first responders arrived. Like Jory, he used a skill he already had to help save someone's life when every second counted.
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