Three Virginia high school students hoping to earn a place on their school's golf team became unlikely heroes after interrupting their tryout to rescue a family whose kayak overturned in a lake.
The dramatic rescue unfolded at the Country Club of Culpeper in Virginia, where Eastern View High School students Andrew Tuggle, Gavin Cain and Jackson Castro were taking part in golf tryouts. The teenagers were near the second hole when they heard screams coming from nearby Lake Culpeper.
A 3-year-old child and two adults had been thrown into the water after their kayak capsized. According to the students, only the child was wearing a life jacket as the family struggled to stay afloat in deep water, as reported by KTVB News.
Who are Andrew Tuggle, Gavin Cain, Jackson Castro?
Without waiting for emergency crews, the three teenagers dropped their golf clubs, ran down a steep, rocky embankment lined with thorny brush and jumped into the lake.
The students swam about 50 yards toward the family, focusing first on reaching the young child.
"The guy is holding him up, and it's causing him to go underwater," Tuggle recalled, describing what he saw as they approached.
Before first responders arrived, the teens were able to help all three victims safely back to shore.
Afterward, one of the rescued adults thanked the students personally.
"The guy actually came up to me and said, 'You saved my life,'" Tuggle told KTVB.
Tuggle is 15, while Castro is 17, and Cain is also 17. While the teens dived in to save the drowning family, their teammates called 911 and alerted coaching staff, as per NBC Washington.
Coach praises students' character
The teenagers later reflected on how quickly an ordinary afternoon turned into a life-or-death situation.
"It just shows how much can change in a split second," Castro said. "If we weren't there, then their lives would have changed instantly."
Their golf coach, Patrick Thornhill, said the rescue revealed the kind of character the students possessed beyond the sport.
"Talk about the character of the kids," Thornhill said. "After they got done, they wanted to go ahead and finish the hole. Of course, I sent them home to make sure they got changed, and within 15 to 20 minutes they were back on the course ready to play."
Rescue ends with another achievement
The day ended on another high note for the three students. Tuggle, Cain and Castro all earned places on Eastern View High School's golf team and are now preparing to compete in their first tournament of the season.
What began as a routine golf tryout ultimately became a display of courage and quick thinking, with the teenagers credited with helping save three lives before emergency responders reached the scene.