Virginia teens rescue family after kayaks capsize on Lake Culpeper
Virginia teens rescue family from boating accident
Three Culpeper, Virginia, teens rescued a family from a boating accident.
CULPEPER, Va. - Three Eastern View High School students are being credited with saving a family after their kayaks capsized on Lake Culpeper.
The incident happened on July 27 around 3:30 p.m. in the water between December Court and the intake area of the Lake Culpeper Dam. Andrew Tuggle, 15, Jackson Castro, 17, and Gavin Cain, 17, were on the adjacent Culpeper Country Club golf course for team tryouts when they spotted the overturned kayaks.
Virginia teens rescue family after kayaks capsize on Lake Culpeper. Gavin Cain, 17 (left), Andrew Tuggle, 15, (middle), and Jackson Castro, 17 (right) (Town of Culpeper Police Department)
The teens called 911, alerted coaching staff and immediately jumped into the lake, swimming out to reach the family. They brought two adults and a 3-year-old boy safely to shore, then returned to retrieve the kayaks. Authorities arrived and confirmed no one remained in the water. All three kayakers were wearing life jackets and were uninjured.
"These three young men saw someone in danger and acted immediately, without hesitation, at potentially great personal risk to themselves," Chief of Police Christopher Settle said. "That kind of courage and quick thinking is what saved three lives on Monday."
Teens recall rescue
What they're saying:
"We heard a big splash in the water," Castro recalled.
Cain added, "All of a sudden there was a little boy, you hear a little boy screaming."
"The adult was holding up the kid, but then he's bopping up and down, and they started screaming help in Spanish," Castro said.
Without hesitation, the three teenagers ran shirtless and shoeless through thorns and jumped straight into the lake.
A Proud community
The team's coach, Patrick Thornhill, tipped off police that it was his golf players on hole two who had jumped into the water and saved the family.
"It's what high school sports is about, you're building character, strength," Coach Thornhill said.
He added that he hopes the boys learn "they're capable of being strong community members" and noted, "I'm extremely proud of 'em."
Chief Settle, who has known the young men since they were little boys, expressed similar relief and pride upon learning their names.
"They are heroes, no question," Settle said. "If it wasn't for the actions of those three young adults, those three kids, I think the outcome would have been different."
Despite the praise from their coach, their police chief, and their town, the teens are remaining humble about their life-saving actions.
"I just feel like I was right spot right time," Castro said.
"I didn't really think about it if I'm being honest," Cain added.
The Culpeper Police Department and Culpeper County Public Schools formally commended the teens for their bravery and quick thinking, saying their actions prevented a tragedy.
Virginia teens rescue family after kayaks capsize on Lake Culpeper. (Town of Culpeper Police Department)
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Town of Culpeper Police Department.