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Jacksonville college student given national hero award

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville man has been awarded a national honor after saving a 13-year-old boy from drowning in the ocean when no one else was around to help.

Ross Johnson and his family were around Atlantic Beach one day before dinner in 2020. They decided to take a walk on the beach to pass the time. That’s when they saw a woman screaming for help.

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“it’s nothing that anyone else wouldn’t do given they were there,” Johnson said of the event.

It’s been two years since he jumped into the ocean to save the boy. He recounted the event casually as if it was your average pre-dinner event.

“Threw everything out of my pockets, threw my shoes off and sprinted down the beach and hopped in the water, and started swimming.”

The 13-year-old boy had been swept away by rip tides caused by a tropical storm, just off the coast. Luckily Ross had been in that same surf just hours before surfing, and knew how it was behaving, saying, “It was pretty rough, considering the tropical storm was just off. But thanks to surfing I was able to navigate it a little bit better.”

It took the 19-year-old five minutes to swim the 450 feet to the boy, under four-foot waves and cold water.

“He said, ‘I don’t know how to swim. I can’t feel my legs,’ so I knew that wasn’t too good and was able to start bringing him back in. But he was panicking and kept pushing me down trying to get his head above water.”

Ross, an Eagle Scout, suddenly remembered a training session he had done with his troop five years before. He knew someone who was drowning needed to be carried in a way that wouldn’t allow them access to your head.

“I used some techniques from that, flipping him on his back, arm around him, and was able to get him back to shore.”

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He acted fast, feeling his own energy failing.

“I knew if I stopped and we were both going to drown... we were still pretty far out and I could leave him and go back in myself... I could not do that and I had to give it everything I had.”

Charles Bond works with lifeguards. He noted how daring the rescue was.

“There’s nothing more heroic than a fellow man putting their own life at risk to save another person, but there are inherent risks in that process, especially in the ocean.”

The 13-year-old was taken away for medical attention- Ross was never able to find him. He told us, “We were able to find out that he made a full, safe recovery. He was OK and was able to receive the medical attention he needed. but I haven’t been able to get in contact with him.”

Now, Ross is being recognized for his heroics

“I just got to order the Carnegie Hero medal for civilian heroes.”

He has been awarded an honor given to those who put their own lives at risk to save others. He will attend a ceremony, and receive a medal and a scholarship — but he didn’t rescue the 13-year-old thinking about that future.

“Deep down inside, all of us we all want to do the right thing and help, and anyone who has the ability is going to know what they have to do.”

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