Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington will present a Bossier Sheriff’s Hero Award to an Airline High School senior later today at 3:45 p.m. in the Sheriff’s Office conference room located on the first floor of the Bossier Parish Courthouse. 

Back in October, 18-year-old Cameron Mattison was preparing for an upcoming fishing tournament with his father and grandfather.  While they were scouting out different areas to fish, the weather changed suddenly with dipping temperatures and a windy conditions.

All three had their life jackets on, as well as rain gear and layers of insulated clothing. At one point, the outboard motor malfunctioned, and the boat went into a spin.  Cameron’s grandfather was thrown from the boat head first into the cold water.

Initially, he wasn’t spotted, but he was eventually located some 30 yards away from the boat with his life jacket ripped off of his right side and barely on his left shoulder.  He was in trouble because he was grasping for breath, and with the multiple layers of clothing he had on, the water weight of the soaked clothes were pulling him down.

Cameron saw that his grandfather needed immediate help and dove in the water, fully clothed and swam to his grandfather. Cameron was treading water in his tennis shoes, (his life jacket had not inflated yet).

Cameron was able to get his grandfather’s head up right, remove the hoodie from his head and jacket hood and put his arm under his left shoulder.  He was able to get his grandfather to where he could breathe and began back stroking to the boat.

Sheriff Whittington will make the presentation to Cameron to commend him for his heroic and selfless action in rescuing his grandfather.

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