Connecticut Man Gets Carnegie Award For Saving Child From Drowning
In February of 2017, John O'Rourke was walking his dog near a pond in Milford when when he saw some young boys playing on the ice that had formed. He warned the boys that this was a dangerous situation. Moments later, he found himself in the freezing waters trying to rescue one of boys who fell through the ice.
Milfordmirror.com reports that the 61-year-old O'Rourke slid on his stomach on the ice towards the 10-year-old, who was about 75 feet from shore, with a tree branch in hand. The ice broke and O'Rourke also fell into the frigid water. He was able to grasp the boy and held him above water as he tried to break the ice to form a path back towards the shore.
Chest deep in the freezing water, O'Rourke was able to raise the boy up onto the ice but exhaustion kept him from pulling himself out of the water. He was finally pulled to safety by police using a flotation ring.
Whew! What a story, right?!
On Saturday night, Milford Mayor Ben Blake will present John Gerard O'Rourke with Carnegie Medal at Lisman Landing Marina. This prestigious award is given to those who try to save someone's life in extraordinary circumstances while risking their own life.
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