{"id":14033,"date":"2016-05-31T18:02:55","date_gmt":"2016-05-31T18:02:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=14033"},"modified":"2016-05-31T18:02:55","modified_gmt":"2016-05-31T18:02:55","slug":"off-duty-firefighter-rescues-drowning-man-at-canyon-lake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=14033","title":{"rendered":"Off-duty firefighter rescues drowning man at Canyon Lake"},"content":{"rendered":"

Watch the report HERE\u203a\u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

(12News<\/a>) \u2013\u00a0Thirty-five-year-old Casa Grande firefighter Jacob Celaya was driving with his family to Canyon Lake Thursday when their truck blew a tire. After he replaced the tire with a spare, the family considered abandoning their plans and returning home. Fortunately for a stranger who was swimming at the lake that day, Celaya decided to go ahead with the trip.<\/p>\n

While Celaya\u2019s family was packing up from kayaking and a picnic on the shore of Canyon Lake, a man was spotted struggling to stay afloat in the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw him out in the water, 50 to 60 feet out, and he was yelling at his buddy,\u201d Celaya said.<\/p>\n

People on shore told Celaya the man was not a strong swimmer and was in real trouble. Celaya\u2019s instincts kicked in. He dove in the water and swam as fast as he could to the struggling swimmer. When he reached the man, his body was stiff.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not like the movies,\u201d Celaya said. \u201cWhen I grabbed him, he wasn\u2019t buoyant at all. He just wanted to sink, like a rock.\u201d<\/p>\n

The firefighter found himself in the fight of his life. At one point he actually had to let go of the victim and lost track of him underwater.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was unconscious but he grabbed my shorts. He grabbed my swim trunks with a purposeful grip,\u201d Celaya said.<\/p>\n

Another boost of adrenaline gave Celaya the strength to pull the man to shore. He administered CPR and within about a minute, the man began breathing on his own.<\/p>\n

All along, Celaya\u2019s 13-year-old daughter watched her dad carry out the heroic act.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd she said,\u2019I wasn\u2019t scared because I knew you were going to save him,'\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The man was rushed to an area hospital. At last check, he was being treated in the Intensive Care Unit.<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"