Teen lifeguard saves father, 2-year-old son from drowning in lake

NEW MILFORD, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) – A 17-year-old lifeguard saved a father and a 2-year-old boy from drowning in Connecticut on Sunday just minutes before he was supposed to get off work.

Aiden Mulligan-Brown said it was almost time for the lifeguards to go home for the day at Lynn Deming Park when he saw the pair struggling in the water.

Mulligan-Brown said he saw the father hoisting the toddler on his shoulders and struggling to stay afloat.

“I saw their head bobbing above the water, and once I saw his head drop a little, that’s when I knew to go [into the water],” Mulligan-Brown said.

At one point, the child was separated from his father and began floating away. Thankfully, Mulligan-Brown rushed in, placed a flotation device under them and got them to shore.

“It’s scary knowing that if it happened a couple of minutes later when we went off duty, it could have been much worse,” Mulligan-Brown said.

A tragedy was avoided, but so far this year, two people have drowned at Candlewood Lake. Mulligan-Brown encourages anyone who can’t swim to borrow a life jacket from a lifeguard on duty.

“We have life jackets that we lend out to people, so if you know you can’t swim, just come up and ask for a life jacket,” he said.

New Milford Mayor Pete Bass said the waters in the area are deceiving, with some parts reaching 10 feet deep.

“These are some dangerous waters, especially when they draw down from the hydro plant. There could be some undercurrents,” Bass said. “So, it’s really important you stay within the buoys, especially at the park.”

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