Man Reunites with 14-Year-Old Boy Who Saved His Life After He Became Paralyzed at Sea While Paddleboarding

Yahoo

10-05-2025

A man in Devon, England, was reunited with the 14-year-old boy who saved him after he became temporarily paralyzed while paddleboarding in rough waters on April 25
Gavin Bowden, 60, lost feeling in his arms and legs after getting hit on the head with his board
The teen, Oscar, who is a junior lifesaver, pulled Gavin back up onto his board and kept him calm and stable for 30 minutes until help finally arrived
A man was recently reunited with the 14-year-old 'little hero' who saved his life after he was injured at sea.
Gavin Bowden, 60, was paddleboarding in Saunton Sands, a beach in Devon, England, on April 25, when a large wave knocked into his board, causing it to collide with his head and rendering him temporarily paralyzed in rough waters, per the BBC.
That's when Oscar, 14, a junior surf lifesaver, appeared, per the outlet.
Acting entirely alone, Oscar pulled Gavin back onto his board and signaled to shore for help. He then kept Gavin calm and secure for 30 minutes while they waited for aid to arrive.
"I saw someone had been injured on their board and just instinctively went over to them to see if they were okay, which they weren't and then I helped them,' Oscar told the BBC.
He added, "I was quite scared at the beginning that I wouldn't be able to lift him because he's quite a big guy but I just had the determination to help him."
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Oscar then explained that he had made the calculated decision to pull Gavin further away from shore as opposed to attempting to bring him closer to land, due to the fact that they would have had to face a rough section of water.
"I knew he had a big board strapped to his leg and if I tried to go in and a wave came and he gets hit off, he'd get dragged in and I might lose sight of him — it could've just got so much worse," he explained.
While speaking to the BBC, Gavin recalled that he found himself face down in the water without feeling in his arms or legs after the blow to his head, but he somehow managed to flip himself over onto his back before Oscar arrived.
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"I called 'help' three times and then Oscar was there and said, 'I'm here.' He was trying to hang on to me and trying to wave and I was saying, 'Don't leave me kid, don't leave me,' and he was saying, 'I won't leave you, I won't leave you.' "
Help eventually arrived, and Gavin was taken to the Royal Devon Hospital in Exeter for emergency treatment.
Gavin — who said he still has some numbness in his hands due to his injury — was ultimately released from the hospital. He soon reunited with his young savior, per a BBC follow-up piece.
In a video of the special reunion, Gavin can be seen thanking Oscar and giving him a big hug.
'They sent me a guardian angel that day," he told the outlet in the follow-up piece, calling Oscar 'my little hero.'
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Gavin also recalled that Oscar expertly adhered to his junior lifeguard training.
"He started trying to reassure me, asking me my name and about my family and whether I was married, all the stuff he's obviously been trained to do, he was really good,' he said.
Neil Phillips, a coach at Saunton Sands Surf Life Saving Club, told the outlet that Oscar achieved a "textbook rescue."
"Oscar talked to Gavin, he protected him, he got him up on his board, he kept giving him reassurance all the time and he wasn't tempted to bring Gavin in through the break, which would have been a disaster with a neck injury,' he said in the follow-up.
"He was just amazing, absolutely fantastic,' Phillips added.
Read the original article on People