Woman recalls decades-old lifeguard lessons to save drowning family

• Rosa Kouri and her family were spending the day at Thetis Lake when she heard cries of help.
• A family of three was struggling to keep afloat, so Rosa jumped in and tried to remember her decades-old lifeguard training.
• As they neared a shallower area, onlookers formed a human chain to help her pull the family to safety.

---

When Rosa Kouri of Canada underwent lifeguard training as a teen about 20 years ago, she never would have thought she’d be able to use her training decades later.

Rosa was at Thetis Lake with her family when she heard cries for help.

A man, his wife, and their son were struggling to keep afloat in the part of the lake where there was a sudden drop-off.

Rosa knew she had to act quickly. She handed her 4-month-old daughter to her mother, ran down the hill, and dove into the water.

She quickly reached the family, but they were so panicked that they kept pushing her under. Still, she pushed through.

Rosa recalled, “I think I just grabbed all the limbs I could, and I tried to remember my lifeguard training — which was a long time ago when I was a teenager — and just tried to tow them in.”

Rosa was able to get everyone to the part of the lake where the adults could touch the bottom.

But she didn’t have the strength to pull all of them up, so she called out for help. Several onlookers formed a human chain so they can haul Rosa and the family to the safety of the shore.

Rosa expressed her gratitude to everyone who helped, writing, “I was really grateful to the women on shore who shouted encouragement and stayed with the rescue, formed a human chain, and assessed the family’s vitals and helped to get a nurse when they got out of the water. They acted quickly and heroically. Not everyone can and should be jumping into the water and the last thing anyone wants is more people in distress.”

A humble Rosa said that she just happened to be at the right place at the right time.

Still, it’s no small feat to recall those long-ago lessons when she and an entire family needed them most.

The incident inspired Rosa to help improve the safety of Lake Thetis.

She has since requested for signs that warn about the water drop-off as well as the presence of lifeguards.

Source: Inspire More