Lifeguard Bride Saves Drowning Boy During Engagement Photography Session

Engagement Photography  •  Photography News

There are a lot of reasons to pay close attention to your background when you’re shooting photos. The background has a huge impact on an image. It can contain distractions, and sometimes it can bring your attention to something you might not have otherwise noticed. In this video, ABC News covers the miraculous story of a bride-to-be who saves a drowning child during her engagement shoot, after being alerted of the boy’s trouble by a chimping friend:

Becki Salmon and her fiance, Matt, were having engagement photos made at a Philadelphia park by photographer Ken Berger. When her friend pointed out a child struggling in the water, Salmon immediately took action. Being a trained paramedic and lifeguard, she recognized that the boy was drowning at once. She dove into the creek and pulled him out, while Berger turned photojournalist, snapping shot after shot of the unfolding action.

Becki Salmon pulls a drowning child from the water.

Unfortunately, these situations happen all the time, and there are often no Beckis around to help. Thanks to TV and movies, most people (parents included) have a very inaccurate idea of what a drowning person looks like. When you drown, your brain goes into survival mode, temporarily shutting down communication centers while you focus on trying to stay alive.

This means that a drowning person will never wave their arms and yell for help or splash around loudly (Via Petapixel). They will tread water quietly, their heads bobbing over and under the water, trying to gasp for air and likely not being able to get enough to breathe, let alone shout with. It was due to this knowledge and training that Salmon knew the child was in danger when nobody else did and was able to save his life.