Two young Tseshaht men have been hailed as heroes after they rescued a drowning man near the rapids on the Somass River. And at an Aug. 27 gathering to celebrate Tseshaht youth successes, Chief Councillor Hugh Braker said it was rare occasion to be able to look not one, but two young men in the face and tell them how incredibly proud he is of them.
Deion Watts, 16, and Oswald Feldsman IV, 13, received awards for their bravery from Tseshaht First Nation.
“Tseshaht is saddened by the fact that many people have been lost over the years to the rapids at Paper Mill Dam,” Braker said. The waters at that section of the river can be unpredictable and dangerous even to strong swimmers, he added.
“These young men showed a maturity beyond their years when they put their own safety in peril to jump in and save another person and all Tseshaht are proud of them,” Braker said.
July 30 was a typical hot summer’s day in the Alberni Valley. Deion and Oswald had spent a long day swimming at the dam, as locals call the area.
“We were there from about noon to 8 p.m. swimming all day, so we were pretty tired,” said Ozzy (Oswald Feldsman).
The boys said they had noticed another group of people (that they didn’t know) had been at the dam all day too.
Later that evening the boys, standing on a float near the shore, observed a man swim down the rapids with a group of friends but then he drifted away from them.
“He tried to swim against the rapids; he was about halfway between the beach and the rapids when he stopped and he seemed stuck,” Watts recalled. “We talked to each other about it; we didn’t know if he was in trouble or just tired…and then he went under,” he said.
The teenagers were on a dock about 20 to 30 feet away from the man and immediately jumped in after him.
“He was still sinking when we got to him but we got him out,” said Feldsman.
The rescuers noticed that the man appeared to be hypothermic and then he lost consciousness.
“He probably didn’t have much longer, maybe seconds, if we didn’t get to him because there was nobody else nearby,” said one of the teens.
Malcolm Swan is deeply grateful that Watts and Feldsman were there that day to save him. The 25-year-old father of two is from Ahousaht. He admitted that he had been swimming at the dam while under the influence of alcohol that day and doesn’t remember much about the near-drowning incident.
Experts warn against mixing alcohol with swimming for many reasons; the obvious being lack of coordination and impaired judgment. Alcohol intoxication can alter your vision and depth perception; making the water look deeper than it is or your destination closer than it really is. It can cause you to move more slowly.
Another side effect is the body’s inability to stay warm in the water.
Water safety expert Roger Sweeny said in a report that most people drown silently and quickly. As they lose body heat and strength they will use their arms to tread water instead of waving for help. In addition, as they struggle for air, they will instinctively use their lungs for breathing instead of screaming for help. When there is no more strength, they will quietly slip below the surface of the water.
And this is what Watts and Feldsman saw on July 30 when Swan went under the water. And without hesitation they both jumped in and pulled him to safety.
First Responders who arrived on scene included local fire departments and BC Ambulance Services; they both credited the two young men for saving Swan’s life.
Swan was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he was treated and released.
This is not the first life saved for Deion Watts. A few years ago he was swimming at Paper Mill Dam and noticed a small child had waded out too far. Young Deion pulled the child to safety just as the child’s mother came to rescue her preschooler.
Deion’s father, Martin Watts, said he and his wife Rita are proud of their son. Martin said he grew up with Malcolm’s father, Jack.
“I’m glad my son was there to help,” he said.
Malcolm’s mother Martha Taylor thanked Tseshaht for inviting her family to come to their territory to celebrate the heroism of the two young men who saved her son’s life. With her voice quavering and near tears, Taylor thanked the two young men from the bottom of her heart.
She said she once had three sons but lost an older one and a younger one.
“Malcolm, my middle son, is the only boy I have left,” she said. It was for that reason that it was so important for the family to celebrate Malcolm’s life in a traditional way.
The week before receiving their awards both Deion and Ozzy were invited by the Swan family to Ahousaht where they would take part in a celebration of life for Malcolm.
In Ahousaht the two young men were blanketed by the Swan family and received artwork made especially for the occasion. Their prints, created by George John, depicted two whales protecting a swan.
“I have lots of love and pride for these young men and I give them my heart-felt thank you,” said Taylor.
RCMP Inspector Mac Richards congratulated and thanked the two young men.
“A hero doesn’t think of himself before acting but thinks of the consequences of not acting,” he said, adding Watts and Feldsman’s act of heroism demonstrated how selfless they are.
People from the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad could not attend the ceremony that day but sent an invitation to the young men and their families to visit them so that they could express their pride and appreciation for what the young men did.
Port Alberni Mayor John Douglas told the men he was proud of what they did for the community.
“Thank God we’re here today to celebrate the saving of a life instead of the alternative,” he said before presenting athletic passes to Port Alberni’s Sports and Recreation facilities to Watts and Feldsman.
“You can tell a lot about a person by how they react under extreme stress,” said Port Alberni Fire Chief Tim Pley. “The way they acted in this case showed courage, strength and compassion for their fellow human being,” he continued before thanking them on behalf of the fire department.
Pley asked the young men to pay it forward; to act as advocates for swimming safety on the Somass River. He suggested they lead the drive to push for life guards or anything else to enhance swimming safety. He said he was sure the City of Port Alberni would bring resources to the table and urged First Nations and other community organizations to get together and do something to make the Somass River safer for swimmers.
Deion and Ozzy each received certificates of appreciation and Tseshaht Pride T-shirts from Tseshaht Chief and Council.
