Quick thinking and proper training can save lives in an emergency. That was exactly what Eagle Scout Clay B., 18, demonstrated at Lido Beach in Sarasota, Florida.

When the Eagle Scout set out for the beach earlier this June, he expected a relaxing day of waves, sand, and boogie boarding. What Clay didn’t expect, was that he’d soon be using his Scout skills to save lives.

Clay was in the water on his boogie board when he heard a cry for help coming from a distressed swimmer, WWSB reports.

The Scout sighted a man and his 13-year-old grandson in the water about 300 yards north of the beach, where they had been trapped in a current. Remembering his Scout training, Clay swam to the pair and helped the boy swim to safety.

“He was screaming that he wasn’t going to get back to land, and so I just had him looking in my eyes the whole time, trying to keep him calm,” Clay told WWSB.

When the boy was safely ashore, Clay swam out once again to assist the boy’s grandfather.  Using his boogie board, the Scout helped the man stay afloat until lifeguard Mark Miller could reach them.

“When the conditions are rough like that, you need to be extremely cautious, and if you’re going to swim, you need to swim near a lifeguard,” Miller cautioned.

According to WWSB, Clay made this rip-current rescue thanks to the training he learned in Scouting. However, Clay doesn’t necessarily consider himself a hero. Like a true Scout, he’s just grateful he was able to assist someone in need. “I don’t know if I was really laying my life on the line, I was just trying to help somebody out,” he said.

You can read more about this Eagle Scout’s heroic act, in the original story by WWSB.

To learn more about the positive impact that Scouting can have on young people like Luke, be sure to check out this article on the recent Tufts study.

Video Credit: WWSB