16-Year-Old’s Quick Action in River Rescue Protects Three Girls and a Police Officer

On a warm July night in Pascagoula, Mississippi, what began as an ordinary evening for several teenagers quickly became an event that would change lives forever — marked by danger, fear, swift decision‑making, and ultimately, extraordinary courage.

The setting was the Pascagoula River, a wide, powerful waterway that carves its way through the Gulf Coast region, near a quiet area of the city used for boating and fishing.

It was late — around 2:30 a.m. — when a vehicle carrying three teenage girls unexpectedly barreled off a boat launch and into the river, instantly turning a peaceful night into a desperate struggle for survival.