Latter-day Saint Earns National Medal of Merit

On July 21, 2016, Mary Jane Rogers and three of her children, Tolman, Adam, and Betty, drove to Cutlus Lake in Canada. It was a sunny day, and the lake was calm. The three children went into the lake to play and swim while Mom stayed back to set up a spot on the beach.

The kids were all confident swimmers, but as the youngest child, Tolman, swam out to the end of the roped-off area, he got tired and tried to use the rope to rest on. The rope was only there to mark off the swimming area; it was not strong enough to keep him afloat.

Adam noticed he could no longer see Tolman playing, so he started looking for him. He soon found him appearing lifeless at the bottom of the lake. Adam swam to the bottom of the lake to get Tolman.

Adam did not know how to tread water while holding his brother. The lake had perfect visibility; he could see the direction to the shore and was confident he could make it. Adam was tall enough to walk on the bottom of the lake and keep Tolman’s head out of the water. Adam held his breath underwater as he carried his brother toward the shore.

Occasionally, he would jump up and take a breath, then continue walking to the shore. As soon as it was shallow enough for him to have his head out of the water, Adam yelled for help. His sister and mother came quickly. Luckily, Tolman was crying, which meant he hadn’t breathed any water into his lungs.

Thanks to Adam’s quick thinking, remaining calm, and using his skills learned in Scouting, he was able to save his brother from drowning and save his life.

Adam, a member of Troop and Crew 42 in St. George, UT, was awarded the National Medal of Merit for Meritorious Action. We couldn’t be prouder of this young man.

Adam is pictured below, receiving the National Medal of Merit. He is surrounded by his family, including his brother Tolman, who he saved.