Hammond woman receives Carnegie hero award for assisting swimmers in peril

Chicago Tribune

26-06-2025

About two years ago, Sara Schaller and her daughter were at Porter Beach, collecting seashells and building sandcastles. As they were ready to leave, a woman ran up to them, asking if Schaller knew how to swim.
'She was like, 'She's drowning,'' Schaller said. 'I was like, 'What?' And then she pointed out to the water, and I could see someone going in and out of the surface.'
A teenage girl and a teenage boy were trapped in Lake Michigan, Schaller said, but at the time, she only saw the girl. Schaller asked the woman to watch her child as she went to save the girl.
'She got pulled out past the buoys,' Schaller said. 'I just kept trying to talk to her, telling her she's got to swim, she's got to help me.'
Tides had been bad at the beach that week, Schaller said, and the teenagers got swept up in a current while swimming.
Schaller eventually brought the girl to shore when she learned a boy was also in the water. She swam to pull him out of the water and administered CPR until paramedics arrived.
The next day, Schaller received a call from a detective on the scene, saying the girl survived, but the boy didn't.
'She said they were out swimming, and the tide took them out,' Schaller said. 'There was no way she was going to make it on her own.'
In April, Schaller received a medal from the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, which is an organization that recognizes civilians in the U.S. and Canada for acts of heroism, according to its website. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, presented Schaller with the Carnegie medal.
Schaller doesn't know who nominated her for the award, but she said it had to be someone who was at the incident. She hasn't talked to the girl she rescued or her family since the drowning.
The Hammond resident was surprised to receive the award, she said.
'I'd never heard of the Carnegie award prior to this experience,' Schaller added. 'I was just happy that I was able to get the girl out in time. I feel really bad I didn't get the boy, though. That still bothers me.'
Mrvan also talked about Schaller on the House of Representatives floor earlier this month.
'Northwest Indiana is home to over 40 miles of incredible shoreline on Lake Michigan, which is a tremendous attraction for tourism and our economy,' Mrvan said. 'But also, unfortunately, can, at times, pose great dangers with its currents and riptides. … Where many hesitated, (Schaller) stepped up and took life-saving action.'
According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, since 2010, the Great Lakes have seen 1,357 drownings. In 2025, the lakes have already seen 23 drownings.
The week Schaller saved the girl from drowning, most Indiana beaches had a tide advisory, and there were drownings in other areas.
'There was a general warning out that there was a strong tide,' Schaller said. 'The waves were big, and the water was pretty strong.'
The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project is a nonprofit that raises awareness about water safety, said Dave Benjamin, its co-founder and executive director.
'Knowing how to swim doesn't mean you could survive the marathon of a drowning incident, unless you have a survival strategy set in place,' Benjamin said.
In 2010, Benjamin himself nearly drowned while surfing on Lake Michigan in Portage. He wiped out near a rock wall near a pier, and he didn't stay attached to his surfboard.
'When you panic, all of your experience, it's pretty much out the window,' Benjamin said. 'You start making a lot of mistakes.'
It's important to know drowning statistics, Benjamin said, including who, when, where and why. He encourages adults to keep an eye on children when they're near bodies of water.
In May, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources released water safety tips to Hoosiers, including discussing the dangers of water; telling someone where you are going and when you'll return; going with a buddy; staying away from flooded or fast-moving waterways; wearing a life jacket; keeping a watchful eye on children; and avoiding alcohol.
When boating, the DNR recommends assessing water levels and monitoring the boat's speed, as well as designating a sober boat operator.
People should also wear life jackets, which should be U.S. Coast Guard-approved, in good working condition, and an appropriate size for the wearer, according to the DNR.
Benjamin also encourages people to pay attention to currents and tide trends each day because that impacts swimming conditions.