Three Virginia teenagers have been hailed as heroes after rescuing a family from drowning during golf team tryouts. Andrew Tuggle, 15, and 17-year-olds Gavin Cain and Jackson Castro were competing for places on Eastern View high school’s golf team at Culpeper Country Club on the afternoon of 27 July when they heard cries for help.
The trio realised a three-year-old boy and two adults were struggling in deep water in adjacent Culpeper Lake after their kayaks had capsized. Tuggle reportedly saw one adult holding the child above their head, an effort that was causing them to go underwater.
Dropping their clubs, the teens ran down a steep, boulder-strewn shoreline and leapt into the lake. They swam out to the family and brought all three back to shore by the time first responders arrived, with police confirming no one was injured. The teens even retrieved the family’s kayaks.
After the dramatic rescue, the teenagers returned to the course within 20 minutes to finish their round. They successfully shot their way onto the Eastern View golf team, which is now preparing for its first tournament of the upcoming season.