A Boy Scout rafting trip in the Blue Ridge Mountains took a dangerous turn when scout leader David Lemley was thrown from a raft in Class 3 rapids.
He managed to climb back in but his foot became trapped under the seat while his body was dragged through the rushing water, leaving his head and chest repeatedly submerged and bouncing against rocks.
For several minutes, he fought just to breathe, unable to free himself or pull his body back into the raft.
That’s when 13-year-old Devin Champenoy stepped in. Staying calm under pressure, he took a few steady breaths and acted quickly, freeing Lemley’s trapped foot and likely saving his life.
David survived with a broken foot, and Devin was later awarded one of the Boy Scouts’ rarest honors, the Honor Medal with Crossed Palms, given to fewer than 300 scouts in history.
Now 15, Devin is working toward Eagle Scout.