When Jamey Ruth Klassen was 16 years old, a terrifying cry for help changed her life forever.

 When Jamey Ruth Klassen was 16 years old, a terrifying cry for help changed her life forever. On July 26, 2020, at a beach on Georgian Bay near Collingwood, Ontario, she heard frantic calls for someone in trouble. A 40-year-old man, Christopher G. Robertson, had capsized in his kayak — and he was nowhere on the surface.

Without hesitation, Jamey waded in and swam about 600 feet into the choppy water toward his overturned craft. According to the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, by the time she reached the spot, Christopher was gone beneath the waves. 

Jamey didn’t panic. She took a deep breath, dove down 12 feet, and found him on the lake’s bottom, completely unresponsive. 

Lifting him under his arms, she brought him to the surface — then, with his head resting against her shoulder, she held him closest to her, using one arm to keep him safe and the other to stroke through the water. Every stroke was a fight: the weight of his body, the exhaustion, the fear.  

When she was nearly out of strength, she shouted for help — and was heard. A paddleboarder paddled over, and together, they got Christopher onto the board and back to shore. 

He was revived and later taken to hospital. Thanks to Jamey’s courage, he survived. 

For her selfless bravery, Jamey was awarded the Carnegie Medal, North America’s highest civilian honor for heroism. 

Jamey later said she “just did what anyone would do,” but that’s not quite true — most people would hesitate. Her quick thinking, her strength, and her refusal to give up saved a life that day.

What her story teaches us:

In the face of danger, heroism isn’t about training. It’s about one person’s decision to act, even when fear is loud and the risk is real. Courage doesn’t always roar — sometimes, it simply dives in.

Sources:

Carnegie Hero Fund Commission — Jamey Ruth Klassen’s award page 

Bayshore Broadcasting — local news on her rescue 

Carnegie Hero Fund Commission press release on her medal announcement