Red Cross gives teenage Good Samaritan Award to Honeyville's Todd Kanno for saving 2-year-old Amara Young from drowning

OGDEN — Utahns continue to appreciate the story of a 19-year-old driver who saw an accident and stopped, then saved the life of a 2-year-old whose car seat was face down in the water.

The American Red Cross of Northern Utah honored Honeyville's Todd Kanno recently with the teenage Good Samaritan Award for saving the life of 3-year-old Amara Young. Kanno was one of eight people given awards for being local heroes.

Little Amara turned 3 last month, and Kanno attended the birthday party to celebrate with her.

Their special relationship began Sept. 24 when the car Amara was traveling in crashed down a 6-foot embankment just off southbound I-15 near Willard Bay.

Kanno had just picked up his final paycheck from Smith and Edwards at about 3 p.m. He was talking on his cell phone with his mom as he drove home on northbound I-15 when he saw a tire on the southbound car come apart.

Kanno took the next exit and rushed to the scene.

"I ran down to the drainage ditch where they were," he said. "There was a gentleman in there holding one of the kids. There was the driver and two kids already out of the water."

Amara was still inside the car, underwater.

"All I could see was the bottom of the car seat and her foot sticking up out of the water," Kanno said.

He pulled her out and performed CPR on her. She spent a couple of weeks in Primary Children's Medical Center and is now doing just fine.

The Utah chapter of the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge honored Kanno in February. The Red Cross of Northern Utah annually honors people in the community who have done something extraordinary. Kanno doesn't care for attention, and the ceremony was no different.

"It was a little overwhelming showing up there, you know, the feelings of joy and happiness," Kanno said.

Red Cross official Stephanie Christiansen said Kanno deserves the recognition.

"An event that brings the community together allows us to honor our heroes in our community who have done extraordinary things," she said. "It's a pretty incredible story. (He's) a pretty incredible young man."

Amara's family was unable to attend the ceremony, but they remain in touch with Kanno. The young hero says he would do it all over again if he had to.

"It's just the way my parents raised me," Kanno said, "and the way I was taught was when you see someone who needs help, just stop and help them."

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