STOW, Ohio — A teenager from northeast Ohio is being credited for pulling a mother and son to safety after he noticed them struggling to swim while on vacation in North Carolina.
Travis Shrout was boogie boarding in the Atlantic Ocean when he first heard the mother yell for help, WKYC reports.
The woman and her 10-year-old son were roughly 50 yards from the shore when the current began to pull them further out. Shrout, who is a former lifeguard, says he asked if they were in trouble and then sprang into action when the mother confirmed they were.
Footage caught on camera shows Shrout passing his board to the mother before swimming out to rescue the boy, who could be seen going under water several times. With Shrout’s help, they successfully made it back to shore.
"There was a couple times where a couple waves came over our heads and kind of submerged us,” said Shrout, who spoke with WKYC. “They weren’t really big waves, it was just not something you want to be facing when you’re trying to get two people in I guess.”
Travis’ mother, Grecia Shrout, watched the incident unfold from the shore.
"It was kind of scary watching it happen. Now that it’s over, I’m very proud," she said.
