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Mail carrier dries off and finishes his rounds
By Kathy Antoniotti
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, Jul 17, 2008
It's been more than 30 years since Keith McVey used the lifesaving skills he learned as a Boy Scout, but the letter carrier didn't let that stop him from jumping into Nesmith Lake to rescue a young girl Tuesday afternoon.
And like any dedicated letter carrier, after the good deed was done, he finished his route. Then, he finished a second one.
''If someone hadn't called to tell us, we wouldn't have known anything about it,'' said Memory Valentine, supervisor of customer service for the Kenmore post office.
McVey was delivering mail to boxes at King Apartments on Carnegie Avenue — just as he's done for more than 20 years — when he heard someone calling for help.
''I had my back to the water when I heard someone screaming,'' said McVey, of Barberton.
He turned around and saw a girl about 25 yards out in the water holding onto a ball, struggling and trying to stay
afloat.
She was shouting, ''Please, please help me. I can't swim,'' McVey said. Her younger sister, who was on the shore was also screaming, he said.
''I took my cell phone and wallet out of my pockets and whipped off my shoes and jumped in,'' McVey said.
McVey said the girl appeared to be about 11 or 12 years old.
When McVey reached her, the water was well over his head. She grabbed him and they both went under.
''I hope this goes according to plan,'' McVey said he remembers saying to himself.
McVey said he felt each of his 51 years by the time he got the girl to shore, when he heard applause from people who witnessed the rescue from the balconies of their apartments.
He said he doesn't know the identity of the youngster he saved.
''The woman watching the girls gave me a hug and was very thankful,'' McVey said.
McVey said he dried off with a towel someone handed him.
''As quickly as I got her out of there, they were gone,'' he said.
Rich Levers, head of leasing and maintenance for the apartment complex, said it was 20 minutes after the rescue before he spoke with the mailman.
''He was still soaking wet,'' Levers said.
The office staff made a sign that read ''Our Hero, Keith'' and placed it beside their outgoing mail on Wednesday.
Valentine said McVey never said a word about the rescue, didn't ask for help with his rounds and didn't ask for extra time to complete them.
''He saved this little girl's life and made up his time,'' she said. ''It's not the least out of his character.''
Kathy Antoniotti can be reached at 330-996-3565 or kantoniotti@thebeaconjournal.com.
It's been more than 30 years since Keith McVey used the lifesaving skills he learned as a Boy Scout, but the letter carrier didn't let that stop him from jumping into Nesmith Lake to rescue a young girl Tuesday afternoon.
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