An 11-year-old boy in Lexington, Kentucky, is being recognized as a local hero after he rescued a man from drowning in a community pool. The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on a Wednesday when the boy, Avory Woolery, noticed an unidentified man submerged and unresponsive.
Woolery told WKYT that he felt compelled to act when no one else was responding. "I was like, somebody’s gotta do something. No one was doing anything, so I put on my goggles. I went underwater. I grabbed him up," he recounted. He described the man as "unconscious under the water, almost shaking" and said his adrenaline kicked in, motivating him to intervene.
"There was no way that I was going to let another man die today. He’s a human being. He should be treated as such," Woolery stated.
Another bystander assisted Woolery in pulling the man out of the water and onto the pool deck. Efforts to revive the man, including CPR, were administered until emergency services arrived. The Lexington Fire Department reported that the man was transported to a hospital in serious condition, though specific details about his injuries were not immediately released. His current condition was unknown as of Friday.
Social media users widely praised the young boy's bravery and quick thinking, with many commenting on his heroic actions.