Video: Lifeguard Receives Award For Heroic Effort

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TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – A former lifeguard at the Tupelo Aquatic Center gets a prestigious award from the Red Cross, because of heroic actions this past spring.
WCBI’s Allie Martin was at the award ceremony, and has more on the hero and the Tupelo resident, whose life was spared.

As Jimmy Bowers sits with his wife Elaine, in their Tupelo home, he reflects on the year.

“This might be my best year ever, because, I could have been by myself, but by God’s grace and mercy, she’s still here,” Mr. Bowers said.

It was back on April 30th, and Elaine was wrapping up a swimming lesson at the Tupelo Aquatic Center, when she started feeling dizzy, eventually passing out. Her instructor took swift action.

“Immediately, I said, we need to pull her over on her side. As soon as we pulled her over on her side, she expelled a lot of blood, then began to regain consciousness, her breathing became easier, but she was in a lot of pain, I held her hand, held her head,” said Lifeguard Sihya Smith.

Doctors discovered that Bowers had a stomach aneurysm. They also said Sihya Smith saved Elaine’s life.

That’s why Smith received the Lifesaving Award from the American Red Cross, during a brief ceremony at the Aquatic Center.

Smith says it’s a blessing to see her former student.

“During this time of the season, thankful that she’s here, for her family and to be able to spend another Christmas with her family,” Smith said.

Although Elaine has had to quit working since the medical emergency, she believes it is no coincidence that Siyha was at the swimming pool that April day.

“She really didn’t want to take credit for any of it, but when you do something like that, you should get the credit, and it could have been anybody there who didn’t know what to do, or how to do, but she did and I was very proud of her,” Mrs. Bowers said.

While a lot has changed in the past eight months in the Bowers home, their strong Christian faith has only been strengthened.

“The main surgeon, he would look at me and say, you shouldn’t be here, you should be dead, and I would say, well, that wasn’t God’s plan,” she said.

The Bowers are looking forward to spending Christmas with their large family. And Sihya Smith is now a teacher in Natchez.