Pro Jump Roper Honored for Saving Teenager from Drowning with Double Dutch Ropes: 'Absolutely Remarkable'

A professional jump roper and his son are being honored for their quick-thinking actions after they saved a teenager and his dog from drowning.

David Fisher and his son Felix received the Lifesaving Citizen Award in Westfield, Ind., on Monday, Jan. 27, after rescuing a 19-year-old and his dog from icy waters using a jump rope, according to a press release.

Felix alerted his father after hearing a man yelling on Dec. 14, 2024. The pair followed the noise and found the teenager and his dog in the water and pulled them out to safety with the ropes, the release stated.

The teenager was a neighbor who had fallen in an icy pond while attempting to save his dog who was also in the water, local media outlet WRTV reported.

David, who is a three-time world record jumping rope champion, told the outlet he immediately grabbed his Double Dutch ropes in an attempt to save the man.

Related: Firefighters Make 'Dramatic Ice Rescue' to Save Man and His Dog from Massachusetts Lake

“I just instinctively went right for my bag of jump ropes and pulled out the Double Dutch ropes,” David explained. “I headed out on the ice pond, and as I started to go out there, I could hear the ice cracking underneath my feet.”

“When I finally did arrive, I slung the rope to him, and he grabbed one handle, and bit by bit, we pulled him out of the ice pond,” David added.

Westfield Mayor Scott Willis said in a statement following the rescue, “I’ve always known that Westfield is filled with brave, kind-hearted people, but what David and Felix did is absolutely remarkable.”

“Their courageous actions are the definition of what it looks like to care for your neighbor. We are proud to honor them with this well-deserved award.”

Related: Rescuers End 2024 by Saving Golden Retriever Stuck in Frigid River Water After Crashing Through Ice

Westfield Fire Chief Rob Gaylor said in a statement, per the release, “Stories like these don’t always have a positive outcome. My department and I are extremely grateful to David and Felix for their quick-thinking and selfless actions that day.”

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David is now regarded as a local hero, along with his son, per WRTV.

“We're all part of a community. I would hope that when cries go out, everybody could do whatever it is that they might be able to do to help the situation,” David told the outlet.

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