BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — A Florida teen raced to the rescue of a woman who was being swept out into the ocean at the Boynton Beach Inlet.
A fun afternoon by the water quickly turned tense for 17-year-old Jakob Thompson two weeks ago, prompting him to answer a call for help.
“I jump in, and everything happened like that, super-fast,” he said.
Cellphone video captured the moment the teen jumped off the seawall and into the inlet to help rescue the woman.
“I just swam as fast as I can to get her, and by the time I got to her, she as pretty like – I don’t want to say lifeless, but she was very tired, like very worn out and tired from obviously struggling, trying to get out of the water,” he said.
Thompson risked his own life without hesitation.
“She was really sorry. That’s all she was saying, like, the whole time, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,'” he said. “I was like, ‘You don’t have to be sorry about anything.'”
Thompson eventually got the woman to the seawall, and that’s when two men pulled them out. First responders arrived moments later.
“I think the adrenaline took over. I didn’t really have any emotions at that point,” said Thompson.
As of Saturday, it remains unclear why the woman jumped in the water.
“I’ve heard people say a phone dropped in the water, but I’m not sure 100%,” said Thompson. “I’m not even sure how long she was in the water.”
Boynton Beach Fire Rescue Lt. Tyler Hoffman, a Dive Team Leader with the department, said the woman’s rescue highlights the dangers of this inlet, because of the fast-moving currents.
“If someone is to go into the inlet like what happened in November, it’s a race against time to try to help those people and get them out of the water as fast as possible,” he said.
That’s why Boynton Beach Fire Rescue has one the largest team of divers ready to respond.
“We are able to have a pretty extensive dive team because the waters are so unforgiving,” said Hoffman. “Time is definitely our greatest enemy when it comes to water calls.
Some of them honored Thompson for going above and beyond.
We have a shirt and a hat, just from our department,” said Thompson as he gave the apparel to the teen.
It’s a moment this high school senior will never forget.
“It’s kinda like looking up to somebody, because that’s who I aspire to be one day: a firefighter,” he said.
Thompson and his family have a lot to be thankful for this holiday, and they’re enjoying the feeling that comes with doing the right thing.
When asked whether he would do it again, Thompson replied, “I would, I would, 100%.”
The woman was evaluated by first responders following the rescue and is said to be OK.
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