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KINGSTON, Okla. (KTEN) — Early this month, Gavin Keeney saw his mother — who suffers from seizures — drowning in their backyard pool.
“I heard what was a lot of splashing and moving around,” said the fifth grader. “I heard kind of yelling, but also drowning… so then I looked and saw her seizing and so I went and jumped in and got her back to the ladder.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Gavin was presented with a Saving a Life plaque in front of all his peers.
“The fire chief is up there, and we got together and said this is what we wanted to do,” said Kingston police Chief Kasey Cox. “Surprise him and let him know that he is a hero.”
Gavin’s mom, Lori Keeney, said it’s something Gavin is used to helping with, sometimes daily, and she’s glad he’s getting some recognition.
“Truly amazing thing to see, and I don’t normally get to see him in action and what he gets to do after I’m having a seizure,” she said. “This is the first time I actually got to see it just because of security cameras … so much pride in him… at the same time, it was heartbreaking to watch.”
Lori Keeney praised son Gavin for saving her life. (KTEN)
Gavin said this is his second Saving a Life plaque. The first one recognized his quick thinking when his mom started choking.
“I tried the Heimlich, and when that didn’t work, I called 911,” Gavin said.
Chief Cox called Gavin a hero in his speech as he presented him with the plaque, a smile very clear on the 10-year-old’s face.
“Just see really great things for him in this field of helping others, in whatever capacity,” said his mom. “He has such great compassion for humankind and his friends and family, and I really hope that maybe this is a future for him.”
