Hampden teen lauded for saving youngster

HAMPDEN – A local teenager was recognized Monday by the Town Council for saving a young boy at the municipal pool.

Josh Ranger, 17, a lifeguard at Lura E. Hoit Memorial Pool, rescued the boy Nov. 19 after the child went down a slide into the deep end of the water, Councilor Andrew Colford said during a presentation.

Colford, a firefighter-paramedic, was at the pool with his daughter and witnessed the rescue, he said.

Colford jumped into the water, too, with his clothes still on, but Ranger made it to the child first as the boy began to sink, Colford said.

“If he hadn’t been there, it might have been a different story,” Colford said of Ranger.

A junior at Hampden Academy, Ranger was honored by the council with a certificate of award for his outstanding performance.