Boy, 14, saves friend, 12, from drowning

By Dawn Treglown

CENTRE — Joy Spier got the best Christmas gift she never asked for earlier this month when she discovered her 12-year-old son was safe after almost drowning.

On Dec. 1, Joy's son Shane was hanging out with his 14-year-old friend C.J. Lowery near Bay Springs Marina when Shane – who does not know how to swim – suddenly slipped into the water.

“We were on a metal floating dock, and it was a little bit wet,” C.J. said. “I heard him hit the water, but I didn't see it.”

Shane knew to hold his breath under water, but that didn't help him much when he fell into the cold waters of Weiss Lake.

“I didn't have time to take a breath or hold my nose,” Shane said.

C.J. was about 12-15 feet away and immediately ran over to where he heard the splash. He dove into the 30-foot-deep water knowing he had to come back up with his friend, and fast.

“We were under almost two minutes,” C.J. said.

The water was murky with little visibility, so C.J. tried to swim towards where he thought he could feel movement in the water.

Shane was flailing for his life, but C.J. said it took some time to find him. C.J. said he feared that if he didn't come up out of the water with his friend on the first attempt, he might never see him again.

“I just wanted to get him out,” C.J. said. “My lungs felt like they were going to explode.”

When he finally found Shane and grabbed hold, Jason did what many drowning victims do in a panic.

“He punched me in the face,” C.J. said.

As C.J. rushed Jason to the surface, the two came up under the metal dock. C.J. hit his head but managed to push Shane up through one of the spaces between the floats beneath the dock.

“I didn't know if he was breathing or not,” C.J. said. “I was pretty scared.”

He said Shane began coughing up water, and he picked him up and moved him off the dock. Shane soon began breathing, but the breaths were erratic and irregular.

C.J. said he gave Shane a few more minutes to recover. Then, they began the 10-minute walk to where C.J. lives with his grandfather, Rick Carroll.

“We waiting until he was breathing right before we went home,” C.J. said.

The boys didn't want to upset anyone, so C.J. just casually told his grandfather he had pulled Shane out of the water earlier that day.

“I didn't realize how serious it was,” Carroll said.

Almost a week later, the boys came forward and told Shane's mother about the incident.

“They knew I would get really upset,” Spier said.

On Monday, Dec. 10, both Spier and Carroll heard the boys describe in detail what happened that day at the fishing pier.

Carroll owns Rick's Barber Shop in Centre, and Spier owns Michelle's Alterations. The two shops are beside each other on West Main Street, and the boys told their story while sitting at the barber shop.

“I'll be forever in C.J.'s debt,” Spier said. “Without him, my son would be gone.”

C.J. also saved another boy from drowning a few years ago in Georgia.

“He was choking on a hotdog while he was in the water,” C.J. said.

Carroll said that doesn't surprise him, because C.J. has always had a protective attitude.

Shane suffered no injuries from the incident except a sore throat.

C.J., however, didn't notice until later that he had several cuts on his legs, especially his right leg. One cut was pretty deep, but he tended to it himself.

Carroll said he was impressed with his grandson's actions.

“It just gives me one more reason to be proud of him,” he said.

C.J. said he's just glad his friend is safe and didn't suffer any serious injuries from the incident.

“I wouldn't want anything to happen to him,” C.J. said. “He's like a little brother to me.”