Hartford firefighter's quick action saves 4-yr-old from flood waters

HARTFORD, KY (WFIE) - Early Monday, the fog rolled in and Kendra Garner of Hartford drove her vehicle with an 18-month old and a 4-year-old into flooded water.

"We couldn't tell with all the fog, but we could hear the kid screaming," said neighbor Grant Parson.

Parson is a Hartford firefighter. He was asleep, but when his mother heard screaming, she woke him up and he knew he had to get right into action.

"I didn't really have time to think honestly," Parson recalled.

Parson and his step-dad saw Kendra and the baby were okay and out of the water, but the 4-year-old was barely hanging on to trees in the water.

They took their boat to the road to try and rescue him themselves. When the boat couldn't get any further, Parson dove into the water to save him.

"I was gonna get him one way or another," Parson stated. "I told him, you know if you can hang on to the tree, I will get you. And he jumped right into my arms and it went out pretty good."

As a firefighter, Parson has trained for moments like this, but nothing could completely prepare him.

"You really can't train for that kind of thing," explained Parson. "It's just the moment. You gotta jump and do it."

While officials tell us the child was in the water for about 45 minutes, Parson was just happy he could do his part to help.

"I'm just glad he's alright, I'm alright and the other two are alright," Parson said. "So it went the best way it could."

Officials said all three were taken to Vanderbilt Hospital and in stable condition. The Hospital said Kendra has been released and Parson's family said the children also had been released.

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