Two Lakes Area Children Awarded Life Saving Award for Rescuing Man who Fell Out of Canoe

FERGUS FALLS (KDLM) – Two children have been given a MN Sheriff’s Association Life Saving Award after helping to save a man from drowning last summer.

Lila and Beck Thorson were swimming at their house on East Leaf Lake on August 8, 2020 when they saw an adult male on a canoe about 200-250 yards from their shore. The canoe flipped over and the male fell out. The man, who was not wearing a life jacket started to yell for help while holding onto the canoe and struggling to stay up.

Lila, with a life jacket on, began to swim towards the man. The wind was blowing to the north, so Lila was swimming into the wind. Beck stayed on the shore with his sister Evie until the neighbor, who heard the screams for help, came outside. The neighbor stayed with Evie. Beck, with a life jacket on, got into his kayak and paddled out to help.

Once Lila got to the canoe with the man struggling in the water, she was able to grab the man’s life jacket that was partially under the canoe and give it to him. The two kids were able to pull the canoe and man to shore.

Lila and Beck worked as a great team and had it not been for their quick and decisive action, the man would have drowned said the Sheriff’s Office.