Teen who drowned saving girlfriend named Carnegie hero
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PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — An Arimo teenager who drowned saving his girlfriend while swimming has been awarded the highest honor for civilian heroism.
Marcos Gil, 17, was one of 15 people named as Carnegie heroes by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. The Carnegie Medal is given throughout the U.S. and Canada to those who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.
Marcos and his girlfriend were in Lava Hot Springs swimming in the Portneuf River when she got caught in a current in April 2018. She screamed for help, and Marcos jumped in to save her. Police say she was able to get to shore but Marcos never resurfaced.
Last year Marcos was named an East Idaho Real Hero for his heroic actions and members of his family accepted the award on his behalf.
Other Carnegie Medal receipients include Isiah Jamal Pierce, a Mississippi man who re-entered his burning home to save his partner’s baby, and Yolanda Robinson Isom, a South Carolina woman who re-entered her burning home for her three sons.
A total of 10,168 Carnegie Medals have been awarded since the Pittsburgh-based Fund’s inception in 1904. Commission Chair Mark Laskow said each of the awardees or their survivors will also receive a financial grant.
More information about the recipients can be found here.