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<span style="font-style: italic">Pretty cool story.</span>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">Boys break Sabbath tradition to rescue drowning motorists
BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Observer staff reporter [email protected]
Friday, October 16, 2009</span>
A year ago when Jermaine Selvin and his best friend Kareem Lawson took the decision to challenge the icy depths of the deadly Rio Cobre to save two imperilled motorists, they had no idea they were saving a schoolmate's parents.
More than that, it was their Sabbath, but the moment they witnessed the ill-fated motor vehicle swing from the busy thoroughfare of the Bogwalk Gorge and plunge into the chilly, unforgiving watery depths, religion and reason flew out the window.
"It was a Saturday and we were going to church through the Gorge when we saw a car veer off the road into the river, and before our van even stopped we were taking off our clothes and we went out," Selvin told the Observer from his St Catherine home. This, of course, was not before Kareem's father - overcome with fear of losing his son - held onto the boy, unwilling to let go. But his sense of goodwill prevailed.
Selvin vividly remembers the murky waters, which, that morning, thrashed with a will all their own, and the scene with the desperate husband trying to find his wife in the darkened depths. While he went to check the rapidly sinking car to see if other persons were aboard, Kareem dived.
"The water was very dark when I got down I couldn't see her and I was about to give up and it was like I heard a voice in the back of my head saying, 'make one more attempt and hold out your hand' and when I did that I felt her skirt," Lawson told the Observer from the campus of the Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville where he is now a student.
"We took her to the bank of the river, pumped her and tried the best that we could and she revived and she was good," recalled Selvin, who was 18 years old at the time.
Their basic first-aid skills, which were not from formal training but common sense, were put to the test.
"Kareem did mouth-to-mouth and I pumped her chest. Basically it was from what we saw watching TV and reading books. I had never done it before (rescued anyone) but I had always wanted to," Selvin told the Observer, laughing.
"I always wanted to use my abilities to help persons, I didn't have any concerns about myself, I wasn't scared," he added.
"We kept talking to her till the paramedics arrived to help keep her conscious," Lawson added, also chalking up his knowledge of movies and from dropping in on meetings of the Red Cross Club at his school.
The two carried out their act of mercy while passers-by watched from the road, aghast at the events unfolding before their eyes. By the time firefighters from the Linstead Fire station arrived, the worst was over.
What they did that fateful morning resulted in the two self-taught swimmers being nominated to receive the National Award for Gallantry from the Government of Jamaica next Monday, Heroes Day.
But it was after the incident that the two made the most unlikely discovery.
"I can't even remember their names (the couple), but it was the Monday afterward that we found out that their daughter was our friend and attended Dinthill Technical High School as well," Selvin told the Observer.
That, he said, taught him a valuable lesson about doing good at every possible opening.
"I would do it again, you can't do too much good," Selvin told the Observer honestly.
"We felt good in ourselves knowing that we were there to help save their lives," Lawson added.
Of the coming award Selvin said "In times like these it's great to know you have done something good and are being recognised."
As to whether they were guilty of 'breaking' the Sabbath Lawson was quick to note, "We didn't break the Sabbath. The Bible says we are to do good on the Sabbath, helping someone on the Sabbath isn't breaking the Sabbath".
Since then, the two have been honoured by their school and church community for their actions that fateful April morning.</span>
Source
<span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">Boys break Sabbath tradition to rescue drowning motorists
BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Observer staff reporter [email protected]
Friday, October 16, 2009</span>
A year ago when Jermaine Selvin and his best friend Kareem Lawson took the decision to challenge the icy depths of the deadly Rio Cobre to save two imperilled motorists, they had no idea they were saving a schoolmate's parents.
More than that, it was their Sabbath, but the moment they witnessed the ill-fated motor vehicle swing from the busy thoroughfare of the Bogwalk Gorge and plunge into the chilly, unforgiving watery depths, religion and reason flew out the window.
"It was a Saturday and we were going to church through the Gorge when we saw a car veer off the road into the river, and before our van even stopped we were taking off our clothes and we went out," Selvin told the Observer from his St Catherine home. This, of course, was not before Kareem's father - overcome with fear of losing his son - held onto the boy, unwilling to let go. But his sense of goodwill prevailed.
Selvin vividly remembers the murky waters, which, that morning, thrashed with a will all their own, and the scene with the desperate husband trying to find his wife in the darkened depths. While he went to check the rapidly sinking car to see if other persons were aboard, Kareem dived.
"The water was very dark when I got down I couldn't see her and I was about to give up and it was like I heard a voice in the back of my head saying, 'make one more attempt and hold out your hand' and when I did that I felt her skirt," Lawson told the Observer from the campus of the Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville where he is now a student.
"We took her to the bank of the river, pumped her and tried the best that we could and she revived and she was good," recalled Selvin, who was 18 years old at the time.
Their basic first-aid skills, which were not from formal training but common sense, were put to the test.
"Kareem did mouth-to-mouth and I pumped her chest. Basically it was from what we saw watching TV and reading books. I had never done it before (rescued anyone) but I had always wanted to," Selvin told the Observer, laughing.
"I always wanted to use my abilities to help persons, I didn't have any concerns about myself, I wasn't scared," he added.
"We kept talking to her till the paramedics arrived to help keep her conscious," Lawson added, also chalking up his knowledge of movies and from dropping in on meetings of the Red Cross Club at his school.
The two carried out their act of mercy while passers-by watched from the road, aghast at the events unfolding before their eyes. By the time firefighters from the Linstead Fire station arrived, the worst was over.
What they did that fateful morning resulted in the two self-taught swimmers being nominated to receive the National Award for Gallantry from the Government of Jamaica next Monday, Heroes Day.
But it was after the incident that the two made the most unlikely discovery.
"I can't even remember their names (the couple), but it was the Monday afterward that we found out that their daughter was our friend and attended Dinthill Technical High School as well," Selvin told the Observer.
That, he said, taught him a valuable lesson about doing good at every possible opening.
"I would do it again, you can't do too much good," Selvin told the Observer honestly.
"We felt good in ourselves knowing that we were there to help save their lives," Lawson added.
Of the coming award Selvin said "In times like these it's great to know you have done something good and are being recognised."
As to whether they were guilty of 'breaking' the Sabbath Lawson was quick to note, "We didn't break the Sabbath. The Bible says we are to do good on the Sabbath, helping someone on the Sabbath isn't breaking the Sabbath".
Since then, the two have been honoured by their school and church community for their actions that fateful April morning.</span>
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