# You want a hero? Here's one heckuva hero **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 11, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-want-a-hero-heres-one-heckuva-hero/249755 "2004-06-11T01:45:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shaolinrabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Shaolinrabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shaolinrabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-want-a-hero-heres-one-heckuva-hero/249755/21 "2004-06-12T00:14:24Z")
With the goal of shedding some light on this, I looked for an alternate source that gives a better picture. "But when she arrived at the pool, tucked away behind a building in the complex, she saw a group of children crowded around and Karah dripping wet and shaken, she said. Donald’s mother was frantically searching the pool for her son. Paramedics from the Chicago Ridge Fire Department arrived and found the boy underwater next to a half-submerged trash can, residents said." From this article in the Chicago Tribune: [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/southsouthwest/chi-0406090043jun09,1,3543605.story](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/southsouthwest/chi-0406090043jun09,1,3543605.story) It requires a membership to view, but hey… ---
**Author:** ![Kaotic\_Newtral](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@Kaotic\_Newtral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaotic_Newtral)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-want-a-hero-heres-one-heckuva-hero/249755/22 "2004-06-12T01:08:54Z")
> [@Shaolinrabbit](#): > > With the goal of shedding some light on this, I looked for an alternate source that gives a better picture. > > "But when she arrived at the pool, tucked away behind a building in the complex, she saw a group of children crowded around and Karah dripping wet and shaken, she said. Donald’s mother was frantically searching the pool for her son. > > Paramedics from the Chicago Ridge Fire Department arrived and found the boy underwater next to a half-submerged trash can, residents said." > From this article in the Chicago Tribune: > [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/southsouthwest/chi-0406090043jun09,1,3543605.story](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/southsouthwest/chi-0406090043jun09,1,3543605.story) > > It requires a membership to view, but hey… So, in reality, we’re talking about 2-3 feet of water tops! I don’t mean to go off at all in this post but if I can see **any** part of a trash can in the deep end of the pool and it’s not just floating there, I can be reasonably sure that I’m (as an adult) not in any danger of drowning in it. I just hope the little guy comes thru ok, without complications. If I were wearing a hat it’d be off to him. -K ---
**Author:** ![Shaolinrabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Shaolinrabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shaolinrabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-want-a-hero-heres-one-heckuva-hero/249755/23 "2004-06-12T01:38:30Z")
> [@Kaotic Newtral](#): > > So, in reality, we’re talking about 2-3 feet of water tops! I don’t mean to go off at all in this post but if I can see **any** part of a trash can in the deep end of the pool and it’s not just floating there, I can be reasonably sure that I’m (as an adult) not in any danger of drowning in it. I just hope the little guy comes thru ok, without complications. If I were wearing a hat it’d be off to him. > -K My take from that article was that the mother was looking for him in the pool and couldn’t find him because of all the junk in there. They said there were branches and stuff and of course the trash can… ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-want-a-hero-heres-one-heckuva-hero/249755/24 "2004-06-12T02:00:01Z")
My impression from the local news (which showed pictures of the pool, etc.) was that, in fact, the water was about 5’ deep. This would indicate that the can was probably floating. It also looked very cluttered with debris and definitely not easy to see into the water. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-want-a-hero-heres-one-heckuva-hero/249755/25 "2004-06-12T19:20:06Z")
> [@](#): > > … As far as most (maybe all) of them knew, it was more or less a _rumor_ that a kid was under the water. They couldn’t see him. Probably all they knew for certain was that one kid was screaming and pointing at the pool. … > [@](#): > > … I am guessing and hoping that the adults didn’t realize he was in the pool. If there was any doubt in their minds… GRR. What Crazy said. … nope, they were concerned enough to call 911 and have them handle it instead. from the way the article is written, (mother screaming etc) they probably have little reason to doubt the girl. > [@](#): > > … Well, I wouldn’t. If I couldn’t swim, I certainly wouldn’t jump into water of unknown depth. … pobed with a pole and determined that the water wasn’t very deep, I would certainly jump in. But oerhaps people in their excitement just didn’t think of that. … nope, [someone](http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dsnews/101nd4.htm) _did_ jump into the pool but gave up soon after. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-want-a-hero-heres-one-heckuva-hero/249755/26 "2004-06-18T04:00:41Z")
[Update](http://www.nbc5.com/news/3419696/detail.html?z=dp&dpswid=2265994&dppid=65194) ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-want-a-hero-heres-one-heckuva-hero/249755/27 "2004-06-18T04:24:47Z")
Oh man, that sucks. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-want-a-hero-heres-one-heckuva-hero/249755/28 "2004-06-18T05:35:13Z")
sucky sucky sucky ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-want-a-hero-heres-one-heckuva-hero/249755.md?page=1)