These Ohio twins saved a toddler from drowning — and they’re just 6 years old
A 3-year-old girl might have died if it hadn’t been for two heroic 6-year-olds. Bryant and Peyton Switzer are just children themselves, but they sprang into action when they saw a toddler who was struggling to stay afloat.
The near-drowning apparently happened when the twins’ family, from Bowling Green, Ohio, was on vacation in Florida in late June. The boys described the incident to Toledo’s WTOL.
“Peyton jumped in and put her arm around her, and then he bring her to the ladder, and I helped her out,” Bryant Switzer told the news outlet. The boys also told WTOL that they were able to tell the toddler was drowning because she wasn’t holding her head above the water.
Drowning is one of the leading causes of death by unintentional injury among children, according to the CDC. And for children between 1 and 4 years old, drowning is the leading cause of death, aside from “congenital anomalies,” according to the centers. In this case, the boys were able to save the young girl from a tragically common fate among toddlers.
People in the community praised the twins in the Facebook comments section of WTOL’s story. “You did a wonderful thing boys. Good job!,” one person wrote. “Great job! This is what I call real heroes !! Times two!” another person commented.
Others praised the twins’ parents, too. “Wonderful boys, awesome job boys and great job to the parents for raising such awesome boys,” one person commented on the WTOL story.
The twins were also recognized for their heroism by the Ohio House of Representatives. Rep. Theresa Gavarone, a Republican representative for Bowling Green, presented the twins with a “certificate for heroism and bravery,” according to the Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune.
“You are certainly to be commended for your courage,” Rep. Gavarone told the boys, according to the Sentinel-Tribune. “At a time when many people are content to take a passive role in life, you took an active role in helping a fellow citizen, and you have earned the gratitude of the young girl and her family.”
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