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LEESBURG - Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and one never knows when he will be called upon to come to the aid of another in danger.
Such was the case for 15-year-old Leesburg Boy Scout, Jayson Howey, who exhibited the bravery and quick action few have the opportunity to display.
According to Leesburg Boy Scout Troop 729 Scoutmaster Mark McConnell, on Dec. 16 Howey put his own life on the line to save another.
Howey was one of several teens standing nearby when 8-year-old Zachary Winchester fell through the ice on the Backwater Lake channel and was in a danger of drowning when he couldn't extricate himself from the cold water and ice.
Without hesitation, Howey shed his coat and shirt, found a broken tree limb and carefully slid across the ice until he could reach Winchester with the limb. After snagging Winchester's collar, he pulled him from the water and to the safety of the nearby bank. Fortunately, Winchester's mother arrived by the time the two had reached the bank and she help Howey treat her son for hypothermia.
"I had talked to the kid for about 10 minutes before he fell through and had told him he needed to get off the ice. When he fell through, I just jumped in with a stick and got him back to the shore," Howey said before being awarded the Boy Scouts of America Lifesaving Award Wednesday night at a special court of honor at the Leesburg Lions Club Community Center.
"It's all pretty exciting," Howey said of the recognition he's received for his valor, "but I just tried to help a kid that was in trouble."
According to Chris Mathes, executive director of the Anthony Wayne Area Boy Scout Council, who presented Howey his award, only 42 scouts throughout the country received such recognition this year.
"It's all pretty exciting," Howey said. "My mom and dad are really proud."
According to McConnell, Howey also has been nominated for a Presidential Award for Heroism, which is presented each fall in Washington, D.C.
