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A lifeguard station in Miami Beach, Florida. The family of five was at Quietwater Beach when the incident occurred.
A lifeguard station in Miami Beach, Florida. The family of five was at Quietwater Beach when the incident occurred. Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
A lifeguard station in Miami Beach, Florida. The family of five was at Quietwater Beach when the incident occurred. Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Nine-year-old Florida boy hailed as hero after saving father from drowning

This article is more than 3 years old

Asaih Williams never had any formal swimming or lifeguard training but managed to pull his father to shore

A nine-year-old Florida boy is being hailed a hero for pulling his father from the water after the man fractured his neck in a diving accident.

Asaih Williams said he always plays a game in his head when he is diving with someone. If the other person doesn’t emerge from the water in a set amount of time, then the boy goes in after him.

He has never had any formal swimming or lifeguard training. It’s just something he does. It ended up saving his dad’s life over the weekend.

The family of five was at Quietwater Beach on Saturday enjoying a day outdoors. Shortly after sunset, the boy convinced his dad, Josh, to take one last jump from a dock into the Santa Rosa Sound, which turned out to be much more shallow than expected.

“All I remember was that he said he broke his neck and he said he was scared,” Asaih told the Pensacola News Journal.

His dad emerged on his stomach, unable to turn over. Despite a 100lb weight difference between the two, Asaih channeled superhuman strength, and turned his dad over to prevent him from drowning.

He then slowly, agonizingly, tugged his dad to shore until bystanders came alongside them.

Josh Williams was transported to the hospital with a fractured neck and underwent fusion surgery on Monday. The newspaper reported the man’s injuries were not expected to be life-altering and he will not require a wheelchair, but he is still trying to regain feeling in his arms and legs.

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