At the Bridgeport High School swim team season opener at Wheeling Park Nov. 15, Megan Lehosit placed sixth out of 30 competitors in the 50-yard freestyle event, contributing to the BHS girls’ team second place finish.

 

But that wasn’t the swim that has been talked about since at the four participating high schools.

 

Just minutes before diving off the block and pursuing her race, Lehosit, a BHS senior, jumped in – on instinct – to save a swimmer from another school.

 

Wheeling Park Swim Coach Patrick Durkin saw it all.

 

“She was waiting for a heat in the 50-yard freestyle to finish when she noticed a swimmer from John Marshall stop in her lane, put a hand up and then go under,” Durkin said. “She acted on once – jumped into the water and reached her before the lifeguard did.”

 

Both Lehosit – who received her lifeguard certification three years ago and worked two summers at Bridgeport Pool – and the lifeguard on duty at Wheeling Park pulled the victim to the low end of the pool and helped her out of the water.

 

“Then (Lehosit) returned to the block and was ready to swim her event,” Durkin said.

Lehosit said she was told she could have some time to rest before the event.

 

“I thought that was very thoughtful of them,” she said. “I didn’t hold them up for very long – maybe like a minute.”

 

Considering the circumstances, she said she was pretty pleased with her time of 29.48.

 

Lehosit said she remembers very clearly seeing the swimmer – a girl – just a little past the midway point of the pool, waving her arms.

 

“I thought that she was just saying she couldn’t do the rest of the race, but then I saw her head start to bob up and down in the water, along with her whole body,” she said. “And I jumped n without even thinking about the lifeguard. I just saw someone drowning and I panicked, so I swam to her and grabbed her with one arm and started swimming towards the middle. I had gotten to her before the guard was even in the pool.”

 

The swimmer who Lehosit rescued was John Marshall freshman Cloe VanScynoc, who was having an attack in the water.

 

Durkin, who was standing right next to Lehosit before she entered the water to retrieve the struggling swimmer, said she acted in true hero fashion.

 

“What an outstanding young lady,” he said. “I told her what a great job she did and her response at the time was: ‘It’s no big deal. I’m a lifeguard.’”

 

The incident wasn’t Lehosit’s first save. 

 

This past summer, she helped a few swimmers who were struggling. Lehosit points out that even good swimmers can have problems and need assistance.

 

“My first save was one of the lifeguards who was having a seizure,” she said.

 

Lehosit said she is glad she was in the right place at the right time with regard to that situation and the incident at Wheeling-Park High School.

 

“I’m just happy I got to her in time,” she said.

 

The Nov. 15 event was a quad meet, in which Bishop Donahue High School also participated.

 

Megan Lehosit is the daughter of Emil and Michelle (Davison) Lehosit. 

 

Editor's Note: Lehosit is shown (left) in top photo, taken during a previous BHS swim season. Cover photo was taken at Saturday's swim meet at the Harrison County YMCA by Ben Queen. She is pictured just above with brothers Logan and Kyle.