GRAND RIVER, Ohio — It was April 12, 2022, when Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathaniel Howard saved a husband and wife from drowning in the Cuyahoga River in Cuyahoga Falls.
Today, he was formally honored for his heroic actions during a special ceremony in Fairport as the Coast Guard presented him with the Silver Lifesaving Medal.
"If it was not for Nathaniel Howard's heroic action, two lives would have been lost," said Capt. Mark Kuperman. "His unselfish actions and valiant service reflect the highest credit upon himself and are keeping with the highest traditions of humanitarian service.”
Howard and his now-wife were waiting for their dinner reservation in Cuyahoga Falls last April when they decided to look out over the river. That's when Howard spotted a woman, Sharon Whipple, being carried away by the cold 44-degree water.
Howard and Whipple made eye contact, but Howard was high above on an overlook. Despite his distance from her, he immediately leapt into action.
"There wasn’t a matter of 'Should I or shouldn’t I?' There wasn’t a matter of 'Can I or can't I?' It was, 'This person needs help, and I can do that,'" Howard said.
"I know that river well enough to know what was coming up next, and I knew I would not survive it," added Whipple, who had been kayaking when she overturned and was heading towards the falls and rapids below, not wearing a life jacket at the time. "I do not know how that man flew down three flights of stairs and made it to me."
Howard raced down the bank and into to the water, wading in and grabbing Whipple before bringing her to shore.
"It's just a blur," he said. "It's just something that you know that with the training, you can always rely on getting into the zone."
But he wasn't in the clear: Whipple's husband had tried to pull his wife out of the water from the shore, but had lost his footing, ending up in the river as well. Howard waded back out to rescue him.
Whipple says she learned a number of lessons that day about water safety, noting that was the only time she'd been on the water without a life vest. She hopes that others see the impact helping a stranger can make.
"There are still people out there who care, and there are still people out there who will do what is necessary," she noted. "There are still people who will help a stranger."
We streamed live video of the entire ceremony, which you can watch in full below...
Officials say the Silver Lifesaving Medal is awarded to citizens of the United States, military or civilian, who rescue or endeavor to rescue another person from drowning, shipwreck or other peril in the waters of the U.S.