Leamington siblings jump into action to rescue man from Lake Erie

A pair of Leamington teenagers are being recognized for their quick thinking and courage after helping rescue a man struggling in Lake Erie.

Callahan Kivell, 15, and his 14-year-old sister Lyla were home alone Tuesday evening when they noticed something unusual offshore from their family’s East Beach Road property.

“I just saw the guy. I was like, oh, he’s just on his jet ski,” Lyla said.

“But then I look out and he’s in the water… he was trying to get back on. It was like he clearly needs help.”

The siblings, both trained lifeguards, acted immediately.

“I said, I need to go in as soon as possible,” said Callahan.

“So I said, call mom and dad, ask if I can go in the water because it’s pretty dangerous.”

With permission from their parents, Callahan grabbed two life jackets and swam out into the lake.

Mom and Dad called 911 as they made their way home.

The water was rough, and it took him about 15 minutes to reach the man.

“He can barely talk to me… the water’s splashing up in his face,” Callahan recalled.

“He kept trying to say words to me and he was just spitting out water. So I knew that we needed to get him back.”

According to Callahan and Lyla, the man had flipped his rented Sea-Doo and was trying to stay afloat on his own — despite already wearing a life jacket.

He told the teens he was visiting from the Toronto area and had rented the watercraft while in town.

“When we were out there, we heard the police sirens and everything going off, and he was like, ‘Oh please don’t let that be for me,’” Callahan said.

“And I was like, well, we got to make sure that you’re okay.”

Officers with Essex County OPP arrived within minutes.

By then, the siblings’ parents had also returned home and helped guide the swimmer and the exhausted teen back to shore.

“There are no injuries reported as a result of the incident,” OPP told CTV News in a statement.

“Essex County OPP would like to thank the young man who assisted in this rescue. Swift action to get in the water with a life jacket to assist the individual is commendable.”

The man, who the teens say was visibly shaken and fatigued, thanked Callahan repeatedly once they made it back to land.

“He was like, ‘You’re an angel,’” Callahan said.

“That was when I was like, whoa — this is real. Kind of shocking there.”

While the moment was overwhelming, Callahan says he’s glad he and his sister were ready to respond.

“I feel like me and my sister made a really good team.”

Lyla, watching from shore throughout the rescue, says she couldn’t be prouder:

“He’s a stronger swimmer than me… I’m very proud of him.”