Teen "Willing to Die" to Save Friend from Drowning During Church Retreat
Church retreats for teens are typically a great time for them to learn about themselves, grow spiritually, and make new friends.
They may discover new skills or talents, rediscover the importance of God, His Word, and how to better apply it to their life. They might also learn Christian leadership skills, and discover how much they value their friends.
The 5 Points Church youth retreat that took place in Garden City, South Carolina started out well. Everyone was having fun at the annual event, enjoying the opportunity to fellowship and grow deeper in their relationship with the Lord.
They were playing games on the beach when things took a terrible turn.
“The entire time we were down there, we all had fun. But then on that day, the current was really, really bad because a storm came out of nowhere,” 5 Points Church Member Noah Johnson told WYFF news.
South Carolina beaches are subject to king tides, which are extraordinarily high tides that can create life-threatening ocean conditions and flood streets.
The youth were told to get out of the ocean immediately, but Johnson saw one of his friends out there, drowning.
“I just rushed in for him and prayed that I could get to him before he died,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the waves continued to pound him and he’d go under as he worked to keep his friend above them.
“He could swim,” Johnson said, “but where we were at, he couldn’t touch. I could touch the entire time, but he would push me under as a, like, a life support. I was willing to die that day for him, if it meant he would be alive today.”
Johnson managed to keep his friend above the water’s surface until help arrived.
He wasn’t even focused on the heroic aspect of what he did in the moment. He simply couldn’t bear the thought of losing his friend, and watching the family grieving as they planned his friend’s funeral.
By God’s grace, the teen’s friend is doing well and expected to make a full recovery.