KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – A family was reunited with their rescuer at Kingsley Lake Park on Saturday.

Jon and Megan Tawney were on a kayak with their two children in February when the kayak began to capsize. Fortunately, the family had life jackets, but they were stranded in Kingsley Lake for over an hour. Emergency Management Services was present at the scene but without a boat, they weren’t much help.

Cole Adam, 16, however, had a jet ski that would save the lives of the Tawneys.

“He quite literally saved us,” Megan said.

When Adam found out that a family was stranded on the lake, he did what “anybody should do” and got in the water to help. Jon had called 911 minutes after the boat capsized and to the credit of EMS, they arrived shortly after. They didn’t have a boat, though, so the Tawneys had to tread water until Adam arrived on his jet ski with an EMS member.

Adam first put the two children on the jet ski and took them to safety on the shore. He then returned to Jon and Megan. The Tawneys rescue journey didn’t end there. They were taken to Orange Park Medical Center to assess their medical needs.

Jon, Megan and their five-year-old were out not long after their visit, but their two-year-old was transferred to Wolfson Children Hospital.

“He had basically shut down when Adam picked him up,” Jon said. “He ended up staying at Wolfson’s for a few nights.”

Jon said had Adam arrived a few minutes later, the fate of their child might have more dire. But the child happy and healthy Saturday for a cookout held by the Kingsley Lake Yacht Club.

The Tawneys were at the cookout to surprise Adam.

“We gave him a Kingsley Lake Yacht Club Life Saving Award because of what he did,” yacht club member Michael Romanelli said. “It’s important to recognize these kinds of things.”

Adam didn’t know he was going to receive the award, and he didn’t view what he did as a heroic act. He was just doing what he had to do that day on Kingsley Lake.

“It was scary for sure, but I just knew I had to do it,” Adam said.

It’s been weeks since that day on Kingsley Lake and despite the scare, the Tawneys are doing great.

“It was the best worst-day of our lives,” Megan said. “I’m just thankful for the hundreds of people involved in getting us to shore safely and getting us back up to health.”