DENHAM SPRINGS, LA. (BRPROUD) — Sixteen-year-old Hunter Robertson and his mother Sharrah Robertson rescued a 4-year-old girl from drowning in a backyard pond. Around 7:30 a.m., Brittany Brock received a heavy knock on her door from the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office.
“And I was looking for my daughter because that was a knock that was intense, it was, they were looking for something,” said Brock.
Brock believes her 4-year-old daughter, Myla, snuck out around 4:00 a.m., opened the garage doors, and ran towards the pond in their backyard.
According to her mother, Myla, who’s a non-verbal child with autism, just learned how to turn on and off light switches in their home two weeks ago.
Sharrah lives across the pond from Brock, who was reading her Bible study around 5 a.m. before the kids went off to school. According to her, it was the first time in years she sat on her back porch and read to herself in the quiet night.
“It started out a faint sound of a splash and a giggle,” said Sharrah.
Sharrah’s Bible study was interrupted when she heard a small chuckle coming from the pond. The chuckle then turned into a whimper several minutes later.
“That’s when I started to go into panic mode and I was like, you know what, this is not right, let me go get a flashlight,” said Sharrah.
Sharrah woke up her son Hunter. After listening for the sound again coming from the pond, the pair immediately started calling neighbors and driving around the pond.
Hunter decided to take his kayak into the dark waters and found small ripples coming from the center of the pond. He paddled over to the ripples, finding a small foot under the water.
After rescuing Myla, she got medical treatment before reuniting with her mother around 7:30 a.m.
After hearing about the heroic efforts, Sheriff Jason Ard of the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office awarded both Hunter and Sharrah with a Saving a Life Award.
Since his heroic efforts, Hunter has earned the nickname from his classmates, “Hunter the Hero.”
“It means a lot to me, that, it tells me that I just saved a girl’s life and now I can watch her grow up,” said Hunter.
According to Brock, Myla is her only biological child and said the support to look after her from her community is overwhelming.
“The support system, I could have never dreamed about, so, it’s one of those deals that I’m forever grateful for the turnout but it’s forever changed me and my family that’s for sure,” said Brock.
After this life scare, Brock said she is currently working with her community to raise awareness about autism. In the future, she hopes to make signs for the neighborhood.
As for Myla hitting the water anytime soon, she’ll be walking on the beach for now or in a kayak with “Hunter the Hero.”
Ard said the office will continue recognizing Hunter and his mom for their heroic efforts. This upcoming Wednesday, Ard plans on having a recognition ceremony for the Robertson family.
