11-year-old St. Louis boy receives Heroism Award for saving brother from drowning

The St. Louis Fire Department has honored an 11-year-old boy for his selfless act of heroism and bravery after he rescued his 22-month-old kid brother from drowning in a pond during a family outing.

According to KSDK, Jayden Groves, was among 42 people the city’s fire department honored for their heroic acts on Thursday, January 21. In a tweet narrating the incident, the fire department said Jayden and his family were at Hyde Park on August 8, 2020, when his little brother wandered off from them.

Realizing he was not around, Jayden instinctively started looking for him and later found him unconscious and unresponsive in a pond with his face down. He then jumped into the pond and dragged him out.

“I pulled him out of the water. I put him on the grass and that’s when my family, they did CPR and I ran to the fire department and got help,” Jayden told KSDK.

The firefighters who quickly responded to the scene transported Jayden’s brother to a hospital where he was treated and discharged after making a full recovery following a short stay. For his heroic act, the mayor of St. Louis, Lyda Krewson, presented him with the fire department’s Heroism Award.

“We salute Jayden Groves,” the department tweeted. “He. Is. A. True. #Hero!”

In a Facebook post, Jayden’s mother also praised him for his bravery. “My oldest son was honored today for being a hero,” she wrote. “Continue being great. If it wasn’t for you my baby wouldn’t be here today. You’re a great kid, very intelligent. Continue to stay on the right path. I’m honored to have you as a son. God is going to take you places.”

Jayden told KSDK he’s contemplating on pursuing a career as a firefighter when he grows up.