An Ohio teenager was honored with an award over the weekend for her heroic actions after she saved her young neighbors from icy waters.Earlier this month, Brookelynn Pruitt entered icy waters in Butler County, Ohio, to save her young neighbors who fell into a pond. Pruitt, 13, was braiding her horses’ mane when he started getting anxious.”I’m looking around like, ‘What is he scared about?'” Pruitt said.In the distance, Pruitt saw two young neighbors — Nevadah and Hope — on the frozen pond.”I seen them running around the pond slipping, sliding, just playing,” Pruitt said. “So, I thought it’s probably a good idea to check on them. I had a bad feeling something was going to happen.”As Pruitt approached the pond, she said she heard ice starting to break. Then she saw Hope fall in, followed by Nevadah.”My friend, she was going out toward the middle, and she went in. So, I went out to try and save her but then I fell in too,” said 10-year-old Nevadah.Pruitt said she used common sense and lessons she learned from watching National Geographic and knew what to do.”I ran in there flailing around, and I told them, ‘You guys got to stand still. You’ve got to hang on to the edge of the ice. I’ll come get you,’ and I broke a path through instead of walking out and getting caught in a hole. I knew I had to break a path through to them so I had a clear way to swim them back,” Pruitt said. “When I got to them, they were freaking out a bit still. So, I told the oldest one to grab on to me and I’d hold on to her, and the oldest one grabbed on to the little one. So, it was like a little chain.”Pruitt said as she swam closer to the bank, her feet went numb.”I just kept telling myself, ‘Keep swimming’ and hoping my body listened,” Pruitt said.The rescue was a success.”By the time I swam them back, no one was hurt besides a couple cut up hands and some blue toes,” Pruitt said.Pruitt walked the girls home then ran to her own house.Russell Beckner watched Pruitt’s story on sister station WLWT and was stunned by the teen’s quick thinking and resourcefulness. “My wife and I said ‘wow, that’s not far from us,'” Beckner said. Beckner and his wife teach farm safety programs, with farm ponds being part of their curriculum.After watching the story, Beckner said he wanted to do something about it.”We decided to see if we could somehow recognize, celebrate what this young lady did,” Beckner said. Pruitt was honored Sunday with a certificate for her lifesaving efforts. Her two young neighbors were standing by her side as she received the award.”I’m glad I got to see Hope and Nevada again,” Pruitt said.
An Ohio teenager was honored with an award over the weekend for her heroic actions after she saved her young neighbors from icy waters.
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Earlier this month, Brookelynn Pruitt entered icy waters in Butler County, Ohio, to save her young neighbors who fell into a pond.
Pruitt, 13, was braiding her horses’ mane when he started getting anxious.
“I’m looking around like, ‘What is he scared about?'” Pruitt said.
In the distance, Pruitt saw two young neighbors — Nevadah and Hope — on the frozen pond.
“I seen them running around the pond slipping, sliding, just playing,” Pruitt said. “So, I thought it’s probably a good idea to check on them. I had a bad feeling something was going to happen.”
As Pruitt approached the pond, she said she heard ice starting to break. Then she saw Hope fall in, followed by Nevadah.
“My friend, she was going out toward the middle, and she went in. So, I went out to try and save her but then I fell in too,” said 10-year-old Nevadah.
Pruitt said she used common sense and lessons she learned from watching National Geographic and knew what to do.
“I ran in there flailing around, and I told them, ‘You guys got to stand still. You’ve got to hang on to the edge of the ice. I’ll come get you,’ and I broke a path through instead of walking out and getting caught in a hole. I knew I had to break a path through to them so I had a clear way to swim them back,” Pruitt said.
“When I got to them, they were freaking out a bit still. So, I told the oldest one to grab on to me and I’d hold on to her, and the oldest one grabbed on to the little one. So, it was like a little chain.”
Pruitt said as she swam closer to the bank, her feet went numb.
“I just kept telling myself, ‘Keep swimming’ and hoping my body listened,” Pruitt said.
The rescue was a success.
“By the time I swam them back, no one was hurt besides a couple cut up hands and some blue toes,” Pruitt said.
Pruitt walked the girls home then ran to her own house.
Russell Beckner watched Pruitt’s story on sister station WLWT and was stunned by the teen’s quick thinking and resourcefulness.
“My wife and I said ‘wow, that’s not far from us,'” Beckner said.
Beckner and his wife teach farm safety programs, with farm ponds being part of their curriculum.
After watching the story, Beckner said he wanted to do something about it.
“We decided to see if we could somehow recognize, celebrate what this young lady did,” Beckner said.
Pruitt was honored Sunday with a certificate for her lifesaving efforts. Her two young neighbors were standing by her side as she received the award.
“I’m glad I got to see Hope and Nevada again,” Pruitt said.
