By Jane AlvarezWertz
Fox 43 TV
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Thanks to his friend’s heroic actions, Kecoughtan High School’s assistant principal will be able to start the school year with his students this fall.
Kevin Davis was involved in a serious boating accident on July 25.
Davis, his wife and their friends, the Smalls, had spent the day on the water and were preparing to spend the night on their boat at Sunset Marina in Hampton when tragedy struck. Mr. Davis slipped off the platform of the boat. He hit his head and was knocked unconscious.
Michael Small, a Master Firefighter-Medic with the Newport News Fire Department, was on his way to his car when he heard a loud splash. He ran back to his friend’s boat to find Mrs. Davis looking into the dark, murky water and yelling that her husband had fallen overboard.
Small told WAVY.com, “Kevin is a good swimmer. We thought he was going to come up but unbeknown to us he had knocked himself out.”
According to a Fire Department news release, Michael dove into the water three separate times. He finally found him floating face down under the pier. Michael managed to keep them boat afloat and got him on the pier. A Hampton police officer helped him get out of the water.
Mr. Davis spent more close to a week in intensive care, but thanks to his friend’s quick-thinking, he is fully recovered.
Michael Small says he and his fellow firefighter-medics had just reviewed training on handling near-drowning incidents in June.
“I was in the right place at the right time. With the skills and teaching that I have I was able to get him out. He is a survivor. He is a survivor,” Small added.
Reprinted with permission of Fox 43 TV