A boy in Houston, Texas, is being celebrated for his heroism after he saved a little girl from drowning.
Ten-year-old Rickie August Jr. rescued 5-year-old Egypt Brady from the bottom of his apartment complex’s pool Sunday, according to Fox News. His family was so proud of him for taking action that they threw him a party where he was able to meet the family of the little girl he rescued, KHOU reported.
As he was swimming, August told KPRC-TV, he saw Brady “not moving at all” at the bottom of the pool. “I knew that she was not just trying to float,” he added.
10-year-old hailed a hero after saving 5-year-old girl who was seen ‘lifeless’ at the bottom of pool > #hounewshttps://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/07/01/10-year-old-hailed-a-hero-after-saving-5-year-old-girl-who-was-seen-lifeless-at-the-bottom-of-pool/
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) July 1, 2021
August swam to the bottom of the pool, scooped Brady up and swam to the surface. From there, he carried her on his shoulders to the stairs of the pool, where others were able to help her out of the water and began administering CPR until first responders arrived.
August, who once almost drowned himself, returned home shortly after medical services arrived to treat Brady and was worried she would not survive, according to KHOU. However, authorities later followed up with August and his family to share the good news that Brady had survived. (RELATED: Authorities Are Searching For A 7-Year-Old Who Went Missing At Beach)
A must watch! Tonight I get to share a story that I don’t get to tell often. A little girl’s alive because another little boy (a stranger) saw her at the bottom of a pool and saved her. Their story and reunion tonight on #KHOU11 at 10. #drowning #watersafety #Houston #Hero pic.twitter.com/EwTuqicKdG
— Lauren Talarico (@KHOULauren) July 1, 2021
August’s family threw a party for him Wednesday to express how proud they were of him — with Brady and her parents in attendance. “I like to be a leader for other kids because I think it’s important for other people to learn from what we do,” August told KPRC-TV.
From 2010 to 2019, nearly 4,000 drownings occurred every year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Safe Kids Worldwide claimed in 2016 that an average of 800 children drown in the U.S. every year, with a majority of them under the age of 5.