16-year-old high school student named Jamey Ruth Klassen from Guelph, Ontario, is being called a hero after saving the life of Christopher G. Robertson, 40, from the cold waters of Georgian Bay in Collingwood, Ontario.
Robertson had been kayaking when his kayak flipped over and started sinking. He held onto the kayak and shouted for help. Jamey, who was on the beach at the time, saw what was happening and quickly swam 600 feet out to reach him. When she got there, Robertson had already gone under the water. Without wasting any time, Jamey dove 12 feet to the bottom of the lake, pulled him up to the surface, and kept his face above water with his head resting on her shoulder.
Robertson wasn’t breathing and was unconscious. Jamey wrapped one arm around his chest and used her other arm and her legs to swim back toward shore. Tired and struggling, she called out for help. A man on a paddleboard heard her and came to assist. Together, they managed to get Robertson onto the board. The man paddled him to shore, where he was safely brought out of the water. After making sure Robertson was okay, Jamey swam to shore herself.
Thanks to Jamey’s fast actions and courage, Robertson was revived and taken to a hospital, where he recovered fully.