A young black teen has been hailed for his heroic act after he saved the lives of three girls and a police officer from drowning in the Mississippi River.
Sixteen-year-old Corion Evans was in the right place at the right time when a car veered off the road into a river.
Heroic 16 Year Old Mississippi Student Corion Evans saves 3 teenage girls and an officer after the girls drove their car into the River. Corion we salute your efforts and sacrifice! May your compassion & bravery serve as an example to others! pic.twitter.com/hsZ737bAB6
— Black With No Chaser (@BeBlackNoChaser) July 5, 2022
I have to save them
When Corion saw what had just happened, he immediately knew he had to do something to save the girls from the sinking car — He could hear them calling for help. So, he quickly stripped down to his shorts and dived into the water. Karon “KJ” Bradley, one of Corion’s friends also jumped in and helped get the girls to the top of their vehicle.
“I was just like, ‘I can’t let none of these folks die. They need to get out of the water.’ So, I just started getting them. I wasn’t even thinking about anything else,” Corion told WLOX.
Corion has been swimming since he was three years old. That would explain the stamina he had to save not one, but four people in the dark murky water.
“I was behind them trying to keep them above water and swim with them at the same time,” he said.
Police Officer Gary Mercer arrived at the scene and quickly dived into the water trying to bring one girl to the shore, but she panicked causing the officer to go under swallowing some water.
“I turned around. I see the police officer. He’s drowning. He’s going underwater, drowning, saying, ‘Help!’” Corion recalled.
“So, I went over there. I went and I grabbed the police officer and I’m like swimming him back until I feel myself I can walk.”
The three girls together with officer Mercer were taken to a local hospital and treated. “Twenty-five yards out, so it was a lot of swimming. My legs were so tired after,” he said. “Anything could’ve been in that water, though. But I wasn’t thinking about it.”
Moss Point Chief Brandon Ashley released a statement commending Corion for his act of bravery.
“The police department and I commend Mr. Evans’s bravery and selflessness he displayed by risking his own safety to help people in danger,” he said in a statement.
“If Mr. Evans had not assisted, it could have possibly turned out tragically instead of all occupants rescued safely.”
The city of Moss Point honored the brave teen with a Certificate of Commendation for his actions.
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