CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A Fort Campbell soldier recently rescued a man who was drowning in the Cumberland River.
Cpl. Brad Dardas said he was sitting in his car near the boat dock on Riverside Drive on Saturday, April 18, when he saw what appeared to be a person in the water about 90 feet out.
“I saw this guy’s head bobbing in the water and thought, ‘What kind of weirdo is swimming in the river?'” Dardas told Clarksville Now.
After realizing something was wrong, Dardas followed along the bank, trying to coach the man back to shore. When those efforts failed, he swam out to assist.
Fortunately for both men, Dardas is an experienced swimmer.
“I had friends that wanted to be in the Navy and started training with them,” he said. “While it was a bad situation, I was glad to be able to use those skills.”
The man was already on shore when rescue teams arrived, according Clarksville Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Michael Rios. Rios called the individual lucky.
“By the time I got back (to shore), the police and EMS were there. Their response time was amazing,” Dardas said.
Clarksville Police spokesman Detective Michael Patterson said no police report was filed. The name of the man who was drowning wasn’t available.