Local Girl Scout receives Medal of Honor for saving boy from drowning

Pictured from left: Carter’s Troop Leader, Hollie Phister, Evelyn Carter, and GSLE CEO Rebecca Pennington

Evelyn Carter, a Girl Scout from Troop 20179 in Destrehan, was just 10 years old when she sprang into action at a local swimming pool and helped save a 7-year-old boy from drowning.

“After he jumped in he looked kind of scared, so I watched him and started to make my way over to him in the water,” Carter, who was participating in an aquatics fitness class at the pool that day, said. “I called out to him, and when he didn’t respond, I acted on my instincts.”

Carter lifted the boy up from the water and got him safely to the side of the pool where an instructor helped pull him from the water. Her quick and decisive action saved the boy’s life, who was later identified as non-verbal.

The incident occurred in July of 2019, but Carter was only recently able to collect her award this month because of delays caused by the pandemic.

As a result of Carter’s heroism, Troop Leader Holly Phister nominated her for the Medal of Honor Award, one of the highest honors a Girl Scout can earn. The prestigious award is reserved for Girl Scouts who have performed acts of heroism beyond the degree of maturity and training expected for their age.  Carter is only one of two girls to receive this award in the history of the council.

“Evelyn is truly a hero. Her demonstrated fortitude and heroism saved a young child that day, and we couldn’t be prouder,” Girl Scouts Louisiana East CEO Rebecca Pennington said. “At Girl Scouts, we strive to help girls develop the skills to improve their own lives and the world around them, and Evelyn is a testament of that, a shining example for Girl Scouts everywhere.”

 

About Monique Roth 919 Articles
Roth has both her undergraduate and graduate degree in journalism, which she has utilized in the past as an instructor at Southeastern Louisiana University and a reporter at various newspapers and online publications. She grew up in LaPlace, where she currently resides with her husband and three daughters.

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