Zach Smith saves young boy

By Ardie Arvidson

Published: August 8, 2008

As Zach Smith enjoyed an outing with his parents, Karl and Jo Ann Smith of Hartsville, at Henry Moree’s preserve in Society Hill at the end of May, he noticed a young child who appeared to be about six or seven years old having difficulty swimming to his destination on the other side of the water.

Zach said the boy jumped in off the dock and stayed in one spot.

Zach said he heard a man tell a young girl to jump in and get the boy; however, Zach noticed the boy pushing the girl who was trying to help down with him. Zach acted swiftly and heroically to save the young boy from possible drowning.

The 11-year-old said he responded the way his parents had taught him to respond in such an emergency situation.

Without hesitation, Zach jumped in and pulled the boy to the dock where a man jumped down and got him.

Zach said, “I swam back to the shore.”

While all of this was taking place, his father said he saw Zach in the water but couldn’t tell what was happening. If gave him a real scare at first. He said he is very proud of his son and the fact that he was able to help someone.

Later that same day, Zach said he was just finishing a snowcone and walked toward the Rock Wall when someone asked him to assist another child who had climb out on the wall and was hanging in mid-air. He rescued this boy, too.

Rather modestly, Zach said it felt good to help others.

The family was at a corporate outing for PPM and members of the Elite Hunting Club, said Zach’s mother.

“We are very proud that we taught him about life-saving skills and how to come up behind little people so they won’t push you down,” said Mrs. Smith.

Smith said that her son was three years old when he learned to swim.

When asked if he had ever thought about being a lifeguard when he got older, Zach said other rescues would be fine, but he didn’t want to be a lifeguard.

Aside from coming to the rescue of others, Zach said he has had a very busy summer. He has spent time at the beach and was headed to church camp after this interview.
Zach said he likes spending time at the beach with his family, fishing, playing baseball and golf. He enters Hartsville Middle School this fall and hopes to add playing in the band to his list of accomplishments.