One of the girls said, “This man right here saved my life right before I took my last breath.” “I’m so glad he’s in my life.”
Around 2:30 a.m. on July 4th, a car with three girls in it fell into the Pascagoula River in Moss Point, Mississippi.
A 16-year-old boy was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.
The car drove off a boat ramp, fell into the water, floated about 20 feet from the bank, and then sank.
“The driver of that car said she was following her GPS and didn’t know she was going into the water,” the Moss Point Police Department said.
Corion Evans then took off his shirt and shoes, threw away his phone, and jumped into the water.
He could hear the people shouting for help.
Evans had been swimming since he was 3 years old, so he knew he could help.
He didn’t even hesitate.
“I thought, ‘I can’t let any of these people die. He told WLOX, “They need to get out of the water.” “So, I’ve just started getting them. I didn’t think about anything else at all.”
Karon “KJ” Bradley, who was one of his friends, also helped him get the girls on the car’s roof.
Officer Gary Mercer of the Moss Point Police Department arrived to find the teen already in the water.
Mercer was trying to pull someone to shore, but she started freaking out, which made him swallow some water.
Corion remembered seeing the police officer fall in and call out for help.
“Therefore, I went there. I went and grabbed the police officer, and I’m like swimming him back until I feel like I can walk.”
Mercer and the three girls were taken to the hospital, where they are all doing well, thank goodness.
“It was 25 yards out, so I had to swim a lot. “After that, my legs hurt so much,” he said. “However, anything could have been in that water. I didn’t think about it, though.”
Chief Brandon Ashley of Moss Point praised Corion for his bravery and hard work.
In a statement, he said, “Both the police department and I want to thank Mr. Evans for his bravery and kindness when he put himself in danger to help others.”
Ashley also said that if Evan hadn’t tried to help, they might have had to pull bodies out of the water.
Officials from Moss Point gave Corion a certificate of commendation to thank him for his brave act.
The officials also thanked Mercer for his “bravery in the rescue.”
