When the summer comes, there are few things better than refreshing yourself by taking a dip in a local swimming pool.
Some people are even fortunate enough to own their own pools, making it that bit easier to indulge in a cool down.
Of course, as with any body of water, there remain risks associated. This is something Jennifer Potter, the assistant manager of Brookwood Apartments, Indianapolis, knows all too well.
One day, as she was doing her rounds, she heard commotion by the pool. Rushing over, she fell upon a truly terrifying scene: A young boy and his mother were both drowning.
Potter leapt into action and jumped in to rescue them. Little did she know, it wasn’t just two lives she was aiming to save…
When Jennifer Potter was on her rounds of inspection at Brookwood Apartments, she thought all was well. That was until she heard alarming noises from the pool.
Deciding to take a look, Potter spotted a 3-year-old boy drowning. There were bystanders screaming for help, but it appeared the child was totally alone in the water. As Potter recalls, she had started getting undressed before she even got to the water.
“[I] took my shoes off while still running and just dove right into the pool and swam straight over,” Potter told WTHR.
It was then that she realized the boy wasn’t completely alone. His mom, who couldn’t swim, had jumped in to try and save him, and was trying to hold him afloat whilst struggling herself under water.
Potter said: “I ended up grabbing both and swimming as fast I could. I got a little panicky, I’m not going to lie. I swam to the side.”
Not long after, the emergency services arrived and treated both mother and son. After they had done so, the EMTs approached Potter to offer their praise for her quick and courageous thinking. When they did, however, they also delivered some stunning news.
“The EMT came back and said, ‘you actually saved three lives today,’” Potter said to RTV6.
Potter hadn’t known it at the time, but the mom was actually pregnant – she’d saved three lives, not just two.
“It was meant to be,” she said. “I was meant to be there yesterday.”
Watch Potter talking about the incident in the video below:
Despite her being humble regarding her role in it all, we know Potter is a real hero. To maintain composure when such a circumstance is playing out is extremely impressive, and not at all easy to do.
This brave assistant manager deserves our praise. Please SHARE this story to pay tribute!