Local Hero Rescues Ten-Year-Olds from Swift Storm Drain Waters

On an ordinary September afternoon, Stanton Thompson, a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy Reserve, had no idea that he was about to save the lives of two young boys. Thompson was helping out at the Cree-Mee Freeze drive-in in Concordia, Missouri when a man came running up to the customer window saying that two boys were trapped in a storm drain. After calling 9-1-1, Thompson rushed to the scene. Thompson thought that he could talk to the boys and keep them calm until professional rescuers arrived at the scene. But it quickly became apparent that the boys, who had been swept into a storm drain by floodwaters, had only precarious handholds keeping them from being carried into deeper, roiling water.

An Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team arrived on the scene quickly. Thompson, able to fit through the grate at the drain entrance, slipped in wearing a lifejacket and made his way to the trapped boys. He put a lifejacket on one boy, Gregory, and secured him to a tethered rope. Thompson helped carry Gregory out as the rescue workers pulled on the rope. Just when Gregory was almost safely out of the water, he began to slip out of the lifejacket. Fortunately, he was able to grasp it with his hands and the EMS crew pulled him out.

The work was not finished, however. Cameron, the larger of the boys, was still in danger. Thompson headed back into the drain and helped Cameron into a lifejacket. With the help of the rescue crew and the tethered line, they made their way back to the entrance. Rescue workers pulled Cameron out through the churning water. The entire rescue took about 45 minutes.

Thompson, trained in American Red Cross Lifeguarding, also credits his Navy training for helping him effectively respond to the emergency. Insisting that he's not really a hero, Thompson says he was just in the right place at the right time. And, he knew what to do. Would you? Find out with health and safety programs from your American Red Cross.

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