As Abraham and Jacob Cruz stood in the lobby of Pleasure Ridge Park (PRP) High School, schoolmates smacked hands with them, exchanged fist bumps, and told the Cruz brothers, “Way to go bro!” and “You’re my hero.” A PRP staff member laid a hand on the shoulder of Cruz’s friend Kenay Valdez, smiled, and said, “I’m so proud of you.”
The three teens were in the spotlight at their school Tuesday morning, just 15 hours after they saved a man’s life. The regular fishing buddies pulled up to the Greenwood boat ramp early Tuesday night, ready to cast their lines into the Ohio River when, as they got out of their car, they spotted a vehicle that had been driven straight down the ramp into the river and was filling up with water. The driver was inside.
“We didn’t think much about it really; we just jumped in,” Abraham said.
He and Kenay grabbed a rope lying on the ramp and rushed into the chest-deep water. They tied off the car, and Jacob Cruz held on to the other end to keep the vehicle from floating deeper into the river. As water filled the vehicle up to the driver’s chest, Abraham managed to get the driver’s door open, slung the disoriented man over his shoulder, and carried him to shore.
Jacob, a weightlifter, pulled the roped car to shore by himself, telling reporters (through his brother’s interpretation) that the car wasn’t heavy. “I’m just glad I could save a life,” he said.
EMS arrived and took the driver to the hospital. Louisville Metro Police said he had a medical event that caused him to drive into the river. The boys are trying to track him down.
“I just want to see if he’s OK,” Abraham said. “He seemed pretty bad at the moment.”
PRP principal Jason Stinson said his phone blew up overnight with calls and texts from people who had seen news stories or social media posts about his students’ heroics.
“I’m very impressed,” Stinson said. “These students are awesome. These guys put their lives on the line to save another human being. That’s big. That’s excellence right there.”
Stinson wasn’t surprised by the boys’ acts, saying those are the kinds of selfless acts PRP students are known for. Now Abraham, Jacob, and Kenay are the toast of the town. They’ve been interviewed by all of the local TV stations, and Metro government and the Jefferson County Board of Education have reached out to set up recognitions for the boys.
The three said they don’t believe they’re heroes, and they’re surprised by the attention that their altered Tuesday night fishing trip has garnered.
“We didn’t think it was a big deal,” said Abraham.
Kenay added, with a chuckle, “And we didn’t catch any fish. We caught a car instead.”