By Madison Willis
Rapid City Journal
MEADE COUNTY, S.D. — What started as a fun camping trip for three childhood friends soon became a rush against time to save a young man’s life from the depths of Bear Butte Lake.
On July 5, 17-year-olds Gracey Schave, Annika Goetz and Kaylee Miranda-Pedersen were spending their summer vacation before senior year at Spearfish High School learning how to paddleboard.
Wearing their life vests, the girls rushed to the water, excited to explore Bear Butte Lake.
It was within thirty minutes of their small adventure they noticed a boy around their age out in the water. Schave said they couldn’t make out his words, but he was yelling something to his family on the shore.
Miranda-Pedersen said they had assumed he was joking around with his family.
But when the screaming stopped and a dreaded silence fell over the water, the girls said their skin crawled.
“We started seeing police cars come into his campsite where his family was, and that’s when we knew that something was definitely wrong,” Schave said.
Meade County Sheriff’s Office, Sturgis Police Department and Sturgis Ambulance and Fire all responded to the area after the communications center received a 911 call about a possible drowning at the lake.
The three girls rushed to where the boy was last seen before being submerged. Schave had taken the lead, finding the boy barely able to fight the currents. She quickly offered her life vest and assisted the boy onto her board.
“He went from making all these noises to completely silent in a matter of seconds... It was definitely scary and I think we all just kind of rushed in without thinking. We just wanted to help him and make sure he made it to the police as quickly as possible,” Miranda-Pedersen said.
Goetz and Miranda-Pedersen soon caught up and connected their boards to Schave’s to give the boy more surface area to climb onto. Goetz said the boy was conscious but winded and barely able to speak.
Still new to paddleboarding, Schave relied on her experience on the swim team to dive into the water and pull the boy to safety.
Goetz and Miranda-Pedersen paddled behind her, conversing with the boy making sure he didn’t fall unconscious.
“He just said to us the tide took him and he couldn’t fight against it any longer. He couldn’t feel his arms and legs,” Goetz said.
Within a few minutes, the girls were able to bring the boy to shore, where he was immediately met by emergency personnel to assess the extent of his injuries.
According to Stop Drowning Now, drowning is a fast and silent incident, with the average drowning occurring in 20 to 60 seconds. In the United States, more than 3,500 people on average drown per year, making 10 drownings per day.
Drowning is in the top five causes of unintentional injury-related death from infants to five-year-olds. Children from five to 17 are more likely to drown in ponds or lakes.
“It’s estimated that another five to 10 people receive hospital-related care for nonfatal drowning injuries for every fatal drowning victim,” Stop Drowning Now wrote in the study.
For Pennington County, precaution about water safety is of the utmost importance. County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Lieutenant Casey Kenrick said boat patrol will have a presence on the lakes in the county during peak use such as summer weekends, holidays, and during big events.
“We have many incidents in the waterways in Pennington County, from drownings to boats sinking, etc. The most common interaction of the PCSO Boat Patrol is safety checks,” Kenrick wrote in an email.
Kenrick encourages everyone playing in the water this summer to follow simple safety regulations. Provide close and constant attention to children in or near water. It is ideal to keep children or weak swimmers within arm’s reach of an adult and have designated water watchers to survey everyone.
Always swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards. Kenrick said you should know your limitations and consider your physical fitness and medical conditions, and don’t forget to wear a life jacket that is appropriate to your weight and size.
Residents are also encouraged to not dive or jump into water less than nine feet deep. They should also keep a first aid kit, phone and emergency numbers near the water.
If witnessing a drowning, you should stay safe and have a personal floatation device before assisting anyone.
If there is more than one rescuer, have someone call 911 immediately, always provide your location and do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you to.
If the drowning individual is conscious, try to reach them with something rigid to pull them towards land. Kenrick said it is better to use an intermediary tool rather than reach out your arms, reducing your risk of drowning with them.
Rescuers should not attempt to directly touch a panicking, drowning person.
Deputies will be wearing bright yellow shirts while out on the lake. In case of an emergency, get their attention or call 911.
“Please remember to drink water and stay hydrated on hot days. Monitor alcohol intake. Be nice and patient at the boat ramp and everywhere! Look out for each other on the lake! Have fun!” Kenrick wrote.
Marking this as a step in the right direction towards their future, all three girls plan on continuing to help others once graduating high school.
Miranda-Pedersen plans to go to a state school to become a radiology technologist. Goetz said she wants to explore her options in becoming a registered nurse. Schave said she wants to help develop young minds and plans on becoming an elementary school teacher when she’s older.
The three girls never thought their actions that day would get much attention. None of them would call themselves heroes, saying it was simply something anyone would’ve done in that situation.
“Being able to help those in need is something that everyone should be capable of,” Miranda-Pedersen said.
Meade County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy James Johns said the girls were recognized for their actions on Wednesday by the Meade County Commission at the Erskine Building on Sherman Street .
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