14-year-old playing basketball dropped everything and ran when she heard a scream — she saved a boy from drowning
When danger is near, every second counts. Many people may be taught to call emergency services, and rightly so. However, in such a crucial time, joining hands or even acting alone to kickstart the helping process makes a difference. 14-year-old Nylah Bennett was at the basketball court on Friday, May 23, at East Pearl Street when she heard a scream, per NBC Philadelphia. She had no idea what was happening just yet, but left everything she was doing and made a run in the direction from which the screams came. She jumped into action and managed to save a 9-year-old boy.
A couple of children were playing in the neighboring area when Bennett suddenly heard loud cries for help. “I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew something was wrong. So, I ran all the way from that basketball court over here. All I remember is, I just threw my phone and I didn’t stop running at all,” Bennett recalled. She arrived to see that a 9-year-old boy was drowning. According to Stop Drowning Now, 10 people drown every day and around 3,400 people every year. It is noted that drowning does not necessarily happen in deep water or to a person who can not swim. It can occur within 20-60 seconds in water as deep as 2 inches and more.
There are over 320,000 annual drowning deaths worldwide, and drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional deaths. Children between the ages of 1 and 4 are at the highest risk, followed by those between the ages of 5 and 9. The 9-year-old boy and other children were playing at the Burlington Boat Ramp when he fell. “The boy slipped off at the end of the ramp, and all I could see were his hands at the end of the waters,” the 14-year-old said, per ABC 7 Chicago. That’s when the children started yelling for help, and Bennett knew she had to rush and intervene to help the boy as soon as possible.
“I wasn’t thinking at the moment. I just knew in my mind he was drowning…I just dove right in there. When I saw all of the commotion, I wasn’t thinking anything other than… save that little boy,” Bennett mentioned. She went right into the water and swam to the boy. Quickly, she held on to him and ensured he didn’t drown. She even calmed and assured the boy that he would be okay as she kept him afloat. To their luck, the kids didn’t have to struggle much before help arrived. A boat passing at the time spotted Bennett and the boy and paddled towards them.
“He was getting ready to bring his own boat out. That’s when he saw us. He came over to us and he told me to grab onto the boat. That’s what I did. I held on to the boat and held the boy in my arms. He had finally calmed down by then,” she said. The City of Burlington Police Department on Facebook noted that the 'Good Samaritans' in the boat quickly helped the boy and the teenager and brought them to safety, sustaining no injuries. Bennett was commended by the department for her bravery.