A vacationing man can thank his lucky stars for being alive after a Leamington family saved his life.
Callahan and Lyla Kivell quickly jumped into action when Lyla saw a man fall off a Sea-Doo in Lake Erie just off East Beach Road on Tuesday night just before 8:30.
Lyla, 14, told CK News Today she saw the frantic man when she was playing guitar, quickly went to get her 15-year-old brother Callahan to help, and called 911.
Lyla said she and Callahan have First Aid training as well as water safety and lifesaving training, adding those instincts kicked-in during the rescue.
Callahan said he was nervous, but confident during the rescue in choppy waters.
"My thought process was, okay, he's not too far, I can get out pretty quick. So, I grabbed two life jackets and jumped in and in my first two minutes of swimming I realized that he was a lot further than I noticed. He had a life jacket on, but he couldn't keep his head above the water. I had my other life jacket on me, threw it up towards him, and made him grab the other side. I pulled him all the way back into shore and we had to take a couple of breaks because he was out of breath. It was a fight against the waves," Callahan said.
Callahan said the man was exhausted, but very thankful.
"After I got him out of the water, he was just 'thank you so much, you're an angel', stuff like that, 'you saved my life,'" said Callahan.
Mom Lindsay reminds swimmers that it's never a good idea to swim or do any aquatic activities alone.
"People go in the water thinking they'll be safe and the number one rule is don't swim alone, don't do anything in the water alone. Water is unpredictable and you can't trust it. So, don't swim alone," Lindsay said.
Dad Graham said the man had drifted about one kilometre down the lake by the time Essex Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers arrived, adding he is extremely proud of his children and is thankful the man is alive.
The Kivell Family also gave the OPP kudos for arriving to the scene so quickly.
