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LAYTON — A group of 17-year-olds are emphasizing the importance of water safety after jumping in to save a swimmer at Holmes Reservoir.
Ryker Jensen, Cooper Smith and Peter Debry were fishing on shore when they heard commotion in the water Thursday.
"We heard people on the other side of the lake calling for help," Smith said. "We saw a man in the water. You could hear it in his voice when he was yelling for help that he was struggling."
The teens dropped everything and jumped into the reservoir to swim to the man, who was about 150 feet from the shore. The group worked together to get him to safety.
"I got underneath him, and then I put my arm around him," Smith said. "He started floating on his back and kicking his legs so his head would stay above water."
Once they got the man to the shore, they called 911 and paramedics arrived minutes later. The Layton Fire Department told KSL the swimmer was taken to the hospital to be evaluated as a precaution.
The group is just glad they got to the swimmer when they did.
Teens Ryker, Cooper and Peter were fishing at Holmes Reservoir when they noticed some commotion in the water.
— Ashley Moser (@AshleyMoser) August 6, 2022
At 10:00, hear how they worked together to help a swimmer in distress on @KSL5TVpic.twitter.com/cGKQoY0VAC
"If we would have waited 30 seconds, maybe even 10 seconds, he could have gone under," Debry said.
They are hoping this incident serves as a reminder that even in a small body of water like this reservoir, incidents like this can still happen.
"Make sure you have your lifevest with you, that you have a partner with you if you are going to be swimming so that you're not alone," Jensen said.
