Woman Who Can’t Swim Saved 11-Year-Old from Drowning. When They Met, the Child Called Her 'a Hero' 

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“I’m truthful happy to cognize you’re okay!” Bridget Addison told Mia Garcia during their reunion

Published connected September 12, 2025 10:53AM EDT

NEED TO KNOW

  • A female who cannot aquatics helped prevention an 11-year-old woman from drowning astatine a Florida park
  • Days later, nan 2 reunited for nan very first clip and exchanged a hug and cards
  • Bridgett Addison said she does not consciousness for illustration a hero, but Mia Garcia insisted that "she is"

An 11-year-old woman has reunited pinch nan female who saved her from drowning astatine a Florida park.

Mia Garcia, who has autism, antecedently said she was collecting shells astatine Lakes Park successful Fort Myers connected Saturday, Sept. 6, erstwhile she slipped into nan h2o astir 10 a.m. section time, according to NBC connection WBBH-TV.

That’s erstwhile a bystander, Bridgett Addison, leaped into action contempt not knowing really to swim. "I looked complete I saw her successful nan water. So I conscionable ran," she said astatine nan time.

Luckily, Addison was capable to thief Garcia scope an embankment, getting “skinned up” by rocks on nan way.

Days later, Garcia and Addison reunited for nan first clip since nan rescue, according to a abstracted study from WBBH-TV. 

The 2 shared a lukewarm clasp arsenic Addison, who brought Garcia balloons and a stuffed animal, collapsed down successful tears.

“I’m truthful happy to cognize you’re okay!” Addison told Garcia done tears successful a infinitesimal captured by nan local station.

The brace past exchanged hand-written cards pinch each other. In her paper to Addison, Garcia wrote “Thank you isn’t capable for what you did” alongside a drafting of nan 2 of them holding hands.

In her paper to Garcia, Addison said, “I wanted you to cognize really very typical you are. Continue being nan beautiful personification God has created you to be.”

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Admittedly, Addison said she does not consciousness for illustration a hero, contempt nan praise she has received for her actions. “I consciousness for illustration if you spot anybody successful distress, thief them,” she told WBBH-TV.

But Garcia feels otherwise. “She is simply a hero, she conscionable is,” nan 11-year-old said. “[She] astir apt doesn't spot that."