A young boy is being praised for his actions on Cunningham Lake after his father drowned Sunday.
In an exclusive interview with WOWT 6 News, the couple who helped save that 8-year-old says the child did everything right.
Brandie White and boyfriend Nick Sasser were on their pontoon on Lake Cunningham. Then the day took a turn. “We started hearing what sounded like a whistle, and we couldn't figure out where it was coming from,” said Sasser.
That whistle was the scream of 8-year-old Collin Pike. The couple told WOWT 6 he was waving his arms high in the air from a boat on the north side of the lake. The boy was able to anchor the boat before calling for help
“When we saw the boat, the boat was rocking,” White said. “It looked like it could tip over at any moment and the boy was going to fall in the water.”
Boaters say it's often choppy on Lake Cunningham. On Sunday, it was even worse. Winds were gusting up to 40 miles per hour, making it more difficult for the couple to reach the boy safely.
“He stood up and grabbed me as tight as he could,” said White. “I lifted him out of the fishing boat and onto mine. I held him and let him know it was going to be okay, and I gave him a Gatorade.”
Collin told them that his father had gone for a swim but never made it back. Sasser says with no cell service he circled the area before going to get help onshore.
The couple say they are confident the boy's actions saved his life. "I let Collin know I'm extremely proud of him and he did the right thing," White says. "Collin was the calmest, bravest eight year old I've ever met.
The Omaha Fire Department dive team pulled Benjamin Pike's body from the water Monday night.