American Red Cross hero reunites with the man he saved

American Red Cross hero reunites with the man he saved

Every summer, Colin Kempney spends the 4th of July on Brantingham Lake in Lewis County. However, this past summer something unexpected happened.

“It’s something you never expect is going to happen until it happens,” Kempney said.

Colin heard screams coming from down the lake and then saw an unconscious man being carried out of the water. Immediately, Kempney jumped into action to try and save a stranger’s life.

“In the moment there’s a second of frozen ‘Oh it’s happening’ and then it kicks in like this is what I’ve been trained in this is what I’m supposed to do,” Kempney explained.

Kempney was a trained lifeguard and certified in CPR and AED. He evaluated the man’s condition, started compressions, and confirmed that 911 had been called.

“When you’re doing CPR the person in front of you is a stranger, but over the course of CPR, they become much more than a stranger. You become connected to that person in a way that’s indescribable,” Kempney said.

Five months later, Kempney finally got to meet the man that he saved.

“I don’t know how you thank somebody for saving your life,” Harold Closs Jr. said. “But I’ll start with thank you!”

With the holidays just around the corner, Closs is feeling extra grateful that he can spend this time of year with his family.

“I remember his grandkids came over and one of them hugged me,” Kempney said thinking back to that day, “And that’s when it set in like this person I helped now has more memories to build, has more relationships to grow.”

“I look at life a lot differently now. You take things for granted and all of a sudden you go wait a minute. That’s not always going to be there. So, I’m very happy and very grateful,” Closs said.

They’re grateful to spend the holiday with their families and a new friend.