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(The Shawnee News-Star) – An off-duty Shawnee firefighter who was at the Siloam Springs Kayak Park with his wife and children Saturday was in the right place at the right time to save the life of a 6-year-old Arkansas girl.
Scott Killgore, who coordinates the fire department’s swift-water rescue team, said he had heard about the park in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, which is a man-made park attached to the Illinois River. He wanted to scope it out as a possible training location for its swift-water rapids, so while on his day off, he decided to take his family up there for an outing.
He took his swift-water rescue gear and had it on in the water while his wife, Melissa, his 15-year-old son Creed and 8-year-old daughter Cayne were on the banks. His wife was taking photos of their children when the outing took a serious turn.
“All of the sudden, my wife yells, ‘grab her,'” he said, after she noticed a young girl who had jumped off the ledge and into the water.
She wasn’t wearing a life jacket and had already gone under the water.
Killgore swam about 20 yards and got to her after she had gone under the water another time, he said.
“I got her back to the bank – her mom was frantic,” Killgore said. While everything unfolded, Killgore’s wife snapped a photo of what was unfolding.
“I guess I was in the right place at the right time,” he said. “The girl was shaken up and her mom was too. I don’t know why she jumped in.”
He spoke with the girl, Crystal, and also had his own daughter try to comfort her after the ordeal.
Crystal was with a group on church outing, he said, and they were still waiting on some members to arrive when she apparently jumped in the water.
After finding out her daughter’s rescuer just happened to be a firefighter, the mother was very thankful, he said. Killgore said he was glad to be there when he was needed.
