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The three girls managed to escape the sinking vehicle and cling to its roof, far from the riverbank, shouting for help that seemed distant in the quiet night. In an instant, they were in a life‑and‑death situation — pinned between cold, swirling water and fading hope.
The Moment of Truth: Corion Evans Acts Without Hesitation
At that moment, Corion Evans, a rising senior at Pascagoula High School, spotted the unfolding crisis. He later told local news that he immediately heard the girls’ voices and saw the sinking vehicle.
Without hesitating, he kicked off his shoes, removed his shirt, left his phone on shore, and ran into the river, instinctively launching himself into the dangerous water.
Evans was not an unfamiliar face to the water. According to his own account, he had been swimming since he was about three years old, giving him a familiarity with strong currents and aquatic conditions uncommon among many people his age.
Even so, the Pascagoula is not a calm pool. Under the moonlight, the surface rippled with invisible strength, and every yard of progress toward the stranded girls required effort against a pull that could drag swimmers under. Yet Corion persisted, driven not by thought but by instinct — the simple, urgent desire to keep others alive.
Rescuing the First Victims: One by One
Reaching the girls’ position, Evans faced a complicated rescue scenario. With the car partially submerged, the most practical place for the victims to wait was on the rooftop, but it still meant they were isolated in the river’s moving current. Corion’s task was not only to get to them but help secure their safe return to shore.
Reports indicate that as Corion swam out, a friend — identified in local reporting as one of the Bradley brothers — also entered the water, assisting from behind by helping keep the girls above water and aiding in their movement toward shore.
Working together, Corion and his friend helped each girl, one by one, from the water to the riverbank, often swimming as far back as they could before nearly exhausting themselves.
The effort took both physical and emotional strength, as Corion juggled keeping the girls calm and guiding them toward safety in powerful, unforgiving water.
