From Deseret News archives:
Lindon Scout gets Honor Medal for saving a girl from drowning
Boy, 13, pulled her out of water while body surfing in California
Joel Drake, 13, was recently awarded the Boy Scout Honor Medal for saving a young swimmer's life, but bring up the word "hero" and he shakes his head.
"No, I don't think of myself like that — no, no," says the quiet, curly-haired boy. "I don't really like attention like that. I don't like to be ... I'm not full of myself."
He talks about the June rescue just like any other vacation story. It's cool, he admits, but he just did what he's been taught to do in Boy Scout Troop 836.
On June 26, Joel and lifelong friend Jonathan Sundstrom were body surfing in California when they saw a giant wave, which Sheron Drake, Joel's mom, describes as a riptide. The boys dove under the wave and came up to see a boogie board flapping around a head bobbing in the water.
Fourteen-year-old Katie Nelms of California had been knocked off her board and was being pummeled by the waves.
"I didn't think. I just swam over," Joel Drake said. "That's probably why we got there in time."
The boys grabbed her board, put her on it, then hauled her to shore.
After dropping Nelms off to her mother and ensuring she was OK, they headed back to water. The moms later talked on the beach and exchanged information.
"It's the only time I've actually used something from Scouting," Drake says.
Amazed by this humble rescue, Sheron Drake told Joel's dad, Ken, who had been stuck at home in Utah working. The story quickly spread and soon the family was gathering letters for the honor nomination process.
In an e-mail, requested by Drake's mom for the nomination packet, Nelms said she had been too tired to swim back to shore and was losing energy to tread water.
"Then, this boy came out of the ocean after me," she wrote. "Joel handed me my boogie board and pulled me back into shore. I was very grateful (for) his bravery."
Debby Robert, Eagle and Life Saving and Meritorious Award secretary for the Utah National Parks Council, read the letters and application packet and said she was impressed with Joel Drake's humble attitude.
"It's just nice to know that there are still kids out there who automatically do ... something just to help someone else, at risk to themselves," Robert said.
As a surprise, the Drakes told their son he was going to an interview process to be considered for the award and would need to brush up on the Scout oath and pledge for the Dec. 2 ceremony.
It wasn't until Drake was called to the stage and presented with the rare gold medal on a red ribbon that he finally realized what was happening.
