Near Drowning Victim

Two boys took a small paddle boat out in rough waters. Thinking it

would drift far out into the bay and sink, they panicked and left the

boat to swim for shore. The younger one could not swim against the

current, so his older friend told him to keep swimming while he swam

to shore for help. He reached land and got a neighbor to call 911.

After 2 hours in chilly waters, rescuers found the younger boy. This

near tragedy had a happy ending. Both boys survived and the younger

one fully recovered.

Good, chilling photography. Stunning in all of that word's senses. 

So glad this had a happy ending. 

Fred, Jim & Cherene,
Thanks for taking the time to comment. It is no doubt my best journalism photo. I pretty much have a photo story, starting with the look of agony on the mom's face as she waited for news and then she takes off down a trail when the report comes in that they had found her son.Then the sequence of events as they unloaded him off the rescue boat, all the way to him laying in the ambulance looking right at me. A roller coaster of emotions that day.
I will never forget. I was sitting at my computer, drinking coffee & eating breakfast. I heard a siren go by, then another and another and then a helicopter. That is when I figured that something big was happening. I jumped in my car and made it to the scene before they roped it off from the media. The big head in the photo was the tv cameraman. I was panning and taking shots as they raced along the pier with the boy. Some of my shots were out of focus or the view of the boy was blocked. This photo was the keeper.

This is a really powerful photojournalistic moment you've captured.  

Thank you Cara:)

Congratulations on your 2nd place photo.  A superb documentary of our daily hero's....  Mike

Thanks Mike,I have used a backpack (with no padding) for years, so the ''Think Tank Camera Bag'' will come in handy. My first Pnet contest win. WooHoo!
Thanks to the members that voted for my photo. The first responders are true heroes that never get the credit that they deserve.