Marvin Winston was out kayak fishing on a blustery day on Lake Lanier when he heard something strange. Before he even had a chance to catch a fish, Winston heard what initially sounded like an animal over the wind; an animal, or the sound of someone calling for help.
“I thought I heard somebody calling for help. Hold on for a minute,” said Winston in the video he took throughout the incident. “Is that somebody on the ground?”
Winston paddled over to shore to investigate where he quickly located a woman on the ground in neutral colors. As Winston landed his kayak, he called out repeatedly for a response before approaching the woman, finding her conscious but not coherent, gasping for breath and visibly distressed.
Kayak fisherman rescues woman on Lake Lanier, Georgia
“Ma’am do you have a name?” Winston repeated twice as he dialed 911. The woman did not respond but remained conscious.
Taking care not to film the woman’s face, Winston stayed with her while connecting to 911. He described the precise location of the incident to the operator and the condition of the patient.
“I have a white female who’s on the ground. Appears that she may have fallen and tripped and she’s in a recovery position but she seems to be gasping for air,” said Winston.
Winston went on to provide additional details clarifying the exact position and gave more information on the condition of the patient. Throughout the call, Winston stayed calm and worked to comfort the patient by assuring her help was on the way while coordinating with first responders.
From here, Winston searched for a sign in the area to provide better information on the location of the incident as he had arrived on the beach by water. A teen neighbor heard Winston’s calling for help and came to assist. As the teen neighbor joined the scene, Winston delegated the teen to provide address information to the 911 operator while himself continuing to reassure the patient by telling her more help had arrived.
Winston then assigned a neighbor to stand by the road and hail EMS as they arrived.
“You did good. You did good cause I heard you,” Winston encouraged the woman. “Super strong of you, yelling out like that.”
Fire rescue number six arrived on the scene and Winston asked the team what information he could provide, letting EMS take over.
Hero kayak angler awarded for actions on the scene as well as creating perfect blueprint for future emergency bystanders
The teen neighbor, having recognized Winston from YouTube as Marvelous Marv Fishing For Life, asked to take a picture with Winston and if he would teach him how to fish sometime. Winston shared some fishing tips with the teen.
After the incident, Winston shared that the woman survived and he was presented with a letter of commendation by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. First responders, including Texas paramedic Johnathan Garcia who sent Winston a challenge coin that had been awarded to him for his own line of duty actions, commended Winston for creating a perfect example for future bystanders of emergencies to emulate.
Upon arriving on the scene, Winston assessed the situation, quickly called 911 and remained calm. He provided the location and patient condition immediately, prioritizing important information in case the call dropped. Winston ensured the patient was in recovery position and continued to monitor the patient until EMS arrived. Additionally, Winston brought in other bystanders, delegating clear roles including hailing EMS to the site of the incident. Winston reassured the patient before the EMS arrived and thanked the other bystanders for their assistance after the EMS left.
“On this day he demonstrated the most important aspect of fishing life,” said Richard Adams with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. “looking out for one’s neighbor.
