News

Actions

Virginia Beach teenager honored for saving two lives

Posted at 11:26 PM, Sep 01, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-01 23:26:13-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Miles Williams was out skimboarding, like he does many mornings during the summer, when he saw two men struggling to swim near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

"I threw my board down and ran in as quickly as possible," he said. "I knew it was life or death. They could drown in that spot."

Miles is just 14, but is a trained swimmer. He swam out to them and carried the men, one by one, to the shore, saving their lives. "I was kind of nervous at first, just making sure I wasn't going to get hurt," he said. "It was instinct to pull them out."

His mom Jennifer was at work when it happened on July 28. "My husband called me and said, 'You won't believe what just happened,'" she said.

Mayor Will Sessoms and the city honored Williams on Thursday night at the Princess Anne High School football game as a Virginia Beach Life Saver. Williams is a sophomore at the school.

While he got a hero's welcome, Williams says he doesn't consider himself one. "Knowing that I did this, I don't really consider myself a hero," he said. "I just know that I was in the right place at the right time."