Kansas City Chiefs TE Leonard Pope Saves Boy From Drowning [VIDEO]
The NFL lockout may be killing fans, but it may have saved a little boy’s life.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Leonard Pope, who would normally be in training camp were it not for the league’s work stoppage, rescued a six-year-old boy from drowning last Saturday in his hometown of Americus, Georgia.
Six-year-old Bryson Moore, who cannot swim, was at a pool party when he somehow wound up in the deep end. His mother, Anne, who also cannot swim, started screaming for help. Cue Pope, who jumped into the water and saved Bryson.
Anne said, “Leonard was inside, and he came out of nowhere and dove into the water without any hesitation, cell phone in his pocket and all. He saved my son’s life, and I am so thankful that he was there for me and my child.”
Pope’s quick reaction was second nature to him. He said, “I wasn’t waiting on anyone else … to try to pull him out. I just felt because I have kids of my own I would want someone to do that for my kids, also.”
The timing of the incident, combined with the NFL lockout, was certainly not lost on Anne, who said, “The fact that he is normally at camp and could have been in Kansas City just proved to me that he was placed here to save my son from drowning, and I thank God that he was here.”
The accident left Bryson in a state of shock. He couldn’t talk for half an hour afterwards. He admits he’s afraid of going in the water, but when the day comes he is, Anne plans to get him swimming lessons.