A 10-year-old boy visiting south Florida has been hailed for his heroic action after saving a woman drowning in a hotel swimming pool.
Waiden Guerrier, 10, from New York was on vacation and enjoying the pool at the Royal Beach Palace Hotel in Fort Lauderdale when he noticed a family friend struggling in the water.
Waiden realized the 38-year-old woman was in distress and immediately leapt into the water in a bid to save her life.
![(Illustration - Hober Gutierrez/Shutterstock)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2F03%2Fet-swimmer-07890-.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
“Then she got to the deep end, and then she started to sink underwater and then she passed out.”
She had a medical condition which caused her to lose consciousness, the boy’s family said.
“I just saw her stop moving, and I started to freak out,” he said.
“I took her to the 3-feet area in the pool, and then I called for people to come and help.”
Then a passerby helped pull her out of the water.
Soon, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue arrived; but by then, the woman had already regained consciousness, though she didn’t remember the incident that nearly claimed her life.
![(Courtesy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FLFR411/">Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue</a>)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F06%2F01%2FIMG_2528.jpeg&w=1200&q=75)
Proud of her son, Waiden’s mom, Carine Guerrier, said that it was his swimming classes that enabled him to save the woman.
“I couldn’t do that, so I am very proud. He did a good thing,” she said.
Officials at Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue recognized the young man for his brave actions.
“I did nominate him for basically a field safe from a near drowning which is rare in itself, but also more rare because it was a child that did it,” said FLFR captain Seamus Murphy.