Seventeen-year-old Brandon Williams saved a man from drowning at Jacksonville Beach and was aided by his quick-thinking family’s teamwork.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville teenager is now a hero after rescuing a man from drowning at Jacksonville beach this week.
It was a terrifying moment turned into a miraculous save — and it’s all thanks to a quick-thinking family.
What started off as a regular Tuesday night at Jacksonville Beach for Kay Williams and his three sons, Brandon, Zayden, and Kyson, soon became a critical rescue mission.
“I said ‘dad, dad someone is drowning someone is drowning,’” said 14-year-old Zayden Williams
“When he said somebody was drowning, I started thinking of my sons immediately,” said Kay Williams.
Once he looked out into the water, he realized his 17-year old son, Brandon, was saving the drowning man.
Brandon Williams said he can’t swim but didn’t hesitate to spring into action and save a man from drowning.
“I noticed a man struggling in the water,” Brandon recounted. “As I swam out to help him, I realized how deep it was. I lifted him up and heard him quietly saying ‘help,’ so he must have been struggling for some time.”
“He can’t swim, but he’s doing his thing to go and help somebody,” Kay Williams said.
“The tides were incredibly strong, and he lost consciousness while I was holding him, which meant I had to bear his weight along with battling the currents. It was getting tough, and I almost stumbled. That’s when I saw my dad hurrying over, and we worked together to get him safely to shore,” Brandon Williams explained.
“I ran up, boom, snatched him out of my son’s hands. My son grabbed his feet and they were pulling him through the tides. We got him here and drug him out. I put him on my foot,” Kay Williams said. “We’re tapping him, we’re tapping him, we’re tapping him. Then he comes back conscious for a little bit.”
Someone on the beach called 911, and moments later paramedics arrived and started performing life saving measures.
The Williams family never left the man’s side.
The next day, Kay Williams was able to get in contact with the family of the man who was saved.
According to his family, his name is Jeremiah and he’s expected to be okay.
They’re just grateful for the Williams family’s heroic actions, especially 17-year-old Brandon.
“My brother’s a legend, he’s really strong,” Zayden Williams said.
“He’s just bred for success. He’s bred to do the right things when opportunity calls. so this aint no mistake that he did his thing when the time came,” Kay Williams said.
“I didn’t really think much of it, I just ran in there. it just felt natural to go help save him,” said Brandon Williams.
The Williams tell me that they’re hoping to soon reunite with Jeremiah in the same spot where they helped save his life.
