The incident came a bit too late for Cabell Tice to include it in his “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” essay, but he recently came up with a great, true story to tell his school friends. Tice, 12, son
The incident came a bit too late for Cabell Tice to include it in his “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” essay, but he recently came up with a great, true story to tell his school friends.
Tice, 12, son of Massie and Maria Tice of Kapahi, was body-boarding with brothers Manasseh, Thornton and Thomas last week, when he noticed a young, blond-haired visitor in trouble in the water at Kealia Beach.
Out for a late-afternoon shred session, Cabell Tice noticed the visiting youth in water over his head about 20 feet away from where he and his brothers were catching waves.
Cabell Tice paddled over to where he had last seen the young visitor go under and, after searching for awhile, saw the visitor underwater, reached down, and pulled him to the surface.
Putting the distressed youngster on his body board, Cabell Tice paddled the boy to shore, got him onto the beach, and made sure he was breathing. When Tice knew the youngster was OK, he pointed out the boy to his father before returning to the lineup.
“Hey, papa, I saved that boy from drowning,” Cabell Tice told his father. “Wow, Cabell. That’s really great,” his father replied. “I’m very proud of you, son.”
When Cabell Tice returned to the water, the visiting youngster, identified only as Steven, told his mother about the incident: “Mom, I was drowning and that boy saved my life,” said Steven, pointing to Cabell Tice.
Steven’s mom told the rest of her family about the incident, and they went looking for Cabell Tice to thank him for his heroics.
Massie Cabell recalled the emotional meeting with Steven’s mother, and he called his son in to meet the family of the boy he had just saved.
The two families numbered nearly a dozen people, and lots of hugging and shaking of hands ensued.
