Group of heroes save 4-year-old boy from drowning in Sask. lake

A group of good Samaritans is being hailed heroes after they helped save a little boy’s life.

James Tanner from Tisdale, Saskatchewan is one of four people who helped rescue Paisley Nashacappo from drowning in Marean Lake on Sunday. The area is located around 80 kilometres southeast of Tisdale.

Tanner was packing up by the lake when the events started to unfold.

“My wife’s friend, Valeasha Taphorn, felt something touch her leg,” Tanner said. “I thought a fish bit her, until her husband Curtis Thorpe pulled the boy from the water.”

Tanner immediately headed to shore to get someone to call 911.

“He was blue, so I performed CPR on him right away,” he said. “Then a bunch of people came over with towels and blankets to warm him up.”

Tanner said they did six rounds of CPR before an ambulance took the little boy to Tisdale hospital. He was then transported by STARS to Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon.

“I’ve got five kids and when I saw the boy come out of the water, I pictured him as my own kid,” he said.

Tanner said the little boy’s family is so thankful and have kept in contact since the incident.

“They’ve reached out to us on Facebook to thank us,” he said, adding the boy is doing well.

“We’ve got pictures of him waving and smiling,” he said.

Paisley’s Dad, Fabian, said his son is doing really well and the Doctors are amazed he didn’t get any brain damage.

“We want to give all the amazing people who helped a great big hug,” he said.

There were a handful of water-related tragedies over the long weekend. Manitoba R-C-M-P reported a 12-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl from Winnipeg died Monday at Grand Beach.

In Lethbridge, Alberta, a six-year-old girl died after being found unconscious in a water-filled dugout.