Teen Recalls Jumping Into Conn. River as 5-Year-Old Boy Struggled in Water: 'He Wasn't Coming Up'
A teenager says she jumped into a Connecticut river when she saw a boy in distress
Isabella Marino told a local news outlet that she leaped into Housatonic River on Tuesday, July 15, after watching the 5-year-old boy struggle in the deep water
Authorities have reportedly said the boy, who survived the ordeal, is showing "positive signs" after being rescuedA teenager is recalling the moment she jumped into a Connecticut river to help a 5-year-old boy when she noticed he was struggling in the water.
Isabella Marino, 14, told ABC affiliate WTNH that she was paddle boarding on the Housatonic River at Indian Well State Park on Tuesday, July 15, when she saw the boy enter the water near the boat launch.
At first, Marino said she thought the boy was playing in the water, but soon realized the child was in trouble.
'I saw that he wasn't coming up anymore, and I knew something was wrong then and that he was drowning,' the teen said.
Marino said she then leaped into the water and tried to go after the boy, but the water was too deep. Still, she told WTNH she did not leave the child alone.
'I stayed there with him and I told my mom to go get someone because I looked around and I saw no one, nothing,' Marino said.
Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said some of its staff members eventually arrived at the scene and pulled the boy from the water with help from the Shelton police and fire departments, according to the Hartford Courant.
The boy was reportedly unconscious when he was removed from the water, and life-saving measures were performed on him at the scene before he was transported to Griffin Hospital.
DEEP said the child was later transferred to Yale New Haven Hospital while his mom alongside him, according to the Courant.
Both DEEP and the Shelton Fire Department (SFD) have since said the child was showing 'positive signs' after the incident, per the reports.
Neither agency immediately responded to PEOPLE's request for comment.
SFD Deputy Fire Chief Paul Wilson applauded Marino's quick thinking and her response to the child's predicament, according to WTNH. He believes her actions could have helped save the boy.
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A DEEP spokesperson told the Courant, 'This incident is a sobering reminder of the importance of vigilance and caution around water, particularly in areas where lifeguards are not present.'
Meanwhile, Marino is glad to have helped save a life. 'Like, if it wasn't for me, I don't know what would have happened,' she told WTNH.
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