This story just keeps getting better and better!

Nicole, you are INCREDIBLE!!!!!

What a fabulous story of courage and the human spirit.

It's amazing that thousands of people will write a comment about our political stalemate regrading the debt, but here is a story really worthy of acknowledging.

Sort of makes you wonder where are priorities are as human beings.

This story with the picture of Dale so limp and pale gave me goosebumps. I hope he has one of those miraculous recoveries.

You're a hero Nicki! Good for you! Let's hope there is karma out there and this act of kindness will result in an even brighter future for this young woman.

@John,

some people work for a living, like 1st, and 2nd shift.

Nicole Kissel's father should be proud! a young hero. i have been caught in currents similar to that, and its no easy task by any means for one to break free from them. even on a boogy board.

as far as calling the kid Dale, i would almost think Chuck for short is more common?

After all the seriously bad news in the news lately, this could have been just another very sad story, but instead we get a very good, heart warming story of a young HERO in Nicole. I know she will never see this post, but I just want to say, "Thank You Nicole, you are a HERO!" God Bless You... I sincerely hope that by Christmas time young Dale is opening the Best Christmas present he could ever open, The Rest of His Life.....

Thank you, Nicole, for proving that there are people who will disregard possibilities and their own safety to help save a life. Thank you for not just standing on the beach, watching (and recording) him dying.

Bless her heart...and very happy to see he is getting better.

Good news is ALWAYS welcome, isn't it?

Good job, little miss Kissel! :)

Bless the two gentlemen for their attempts also.

Nicole. You are a super heroine! You remind me of my Grandaughters who are athletes and competitive swimmers. I think they would probably have done the same thing. In these times when we hear so much about "couch potato" kids it is refreshing to hear about young people that are outside doing something (heroic). Thank you Nicole.

When her own father shouted not to do so, she went to help this boy anyway. What a brave young girl. To cast aside your own safety to rescue someone else is the height of what you can give to humanity. May this young girl have a wonderful life and may the child she rescued recover fully in time. Kudos as well to the other rescuers.

Yes, she IS a brave girl and I commend her for risking her own life. It can be confusing as to what to do. In my lifeguard classes we were taught not to do things like this without training because it is too easy to turn one victim into two. I'm so glad it worked out that BOTH survived.

You are truly a hero Nichole, in the grandest sense of the word! To be this young, and to demonstrate that amount of courage and strength is simply outstanding, and really shows that you are destine to do great things.

Always follow your heart and God......................

Best wishes,

BR from Baltimore MD.

In my lifeguard classes we were taught not to do things like this without training because it is too easy to turn one victim into two. I'm so glad it worked out that BOTH survived.

This is very true. And for anyone complaining of the adults who didn't rush out to try and help.... that would have created a situation where Dale and probably more would have likely died. A rip tide is nothing that even an excellent swimmer should get into without gear and most adults aren't excellent swimmers. Nicole had a boogie board, which helped her avoid the very dangerous current. Had adults gone out who did not have anything to hold themselves out of the water, the rescue would have been for more than one person and the extra time needed for that would have resulted in deaths. Had Nicole not had a boogie board, both her and Dale would likely have died.

Being heroic is a great thing, but doing so when you are assured of death is not smart and can cause more harm than doing nothing. I definitely commend Nicole for her bravery. But a word of warning to her and others... don't ever try going into a rip tide to save someone unless you have some kind of floatation device. Otherwise, you are both likely to die. And that doesn't make you a hero.

Nichole makes Ted "I gotta save myself" Kennedy look like the POS he was...God bless you Nichole..

Dear Riamus; I totally agree with you that too many rescuers can cause more harm than good, and can lead to more drownings. However having been in the same position as Nichole myself in 1989, at a beach exit just north of where she was, (Ocean Park) I know that the heart wins out every time. There are 5 girl scouts in Seattle alive today because one of their grandfathers and I, after sending for help, went in to get them. I had them in seconds treading water and taught them, yelling over the waves, to go down under the big waves that had suddenly hit us too, ( later to be found to be aftershock waves from an earthquake that had hit California earlier that day) and then how to come back up and body surf in with each one until we were rescued by a wonderful fireman tied with a rope around his waist and a lifejacket on, who swam out into the ocean to get us and two others in a little row boat that kept being hit by waves! In our case the grandfather did have to be lifeflighted to Seattle and later passed away from a heart attack, but because of our incident the city council down there the next day voted to purchase the rescue equipment needed for rescues in the ocean and to provide the training needed to do so, and it might not have been there last weekend otherwise for this little boy. So, being a trained lifeguard and swim instructor myself, in your brain you know what is right to do, but every situation is different, and until God puts you in those places at the right time, you can never know what you'll do, or how you'll react, only your heart does... especially when it's a child...which is why the grandfather, myself, and those firemen without the right equipment that day did what we did. And coincidentally...one of them was named...Nicole.

almost like a higher power at work, isnt it? :) i do believe there is something out there greater than ourselves. had a freind, her jeep with 5 people in it was creamed by a semi on the freeway. not sure how it was hit, but everyone walked away with just a couple scratches. but if you saw the pic of the jeep.... then again there are the blind who can not see such things...

Agreed, you can see miracles if you look hard enough. But if a higher power causes them, then he also causes all the heartache and misery that humans suffer. The starving children in the world, the little girls that get kidnapped and held for years and end up having children by the very same kidnappers.

I want to think we have a higher power looking out for us, but I can't rectify that thought with the human suffering around us every day. There is no way underage sexual abuse can be explained away through faith...

God (or a higher power). Does not cause all the bad things that happen in this world. There's something called "free will." Just like God doesn't just intervene when there is something good done, that too is the "free will" of us as humans. If you ever read the bible, you will learn this. Everyone is so quick to thank God when good happens and to blame him when bad happens. God gave us something called intuition. I believe that's when he is showing us the path our lives need to take. It's the power of "free will" that God granted us that causes us to listen or ignore our intuition. God doesn't "LET" people starve or be kidnapped and raped. He gives us the 'free will' to make our on decisions and sometimes those decision cause harm or suffering to other people. Read the bible, then you might think differently about what God "LETS" happen.

You are truly a hero Nichole, in the grandest sense of the word! To be this young, and to demonstrate that amount of courage and strength is simply outstanding, and really shows that you are destine to do great things.

Always follow your heart and God......................

Best wishes,

BR from Baltimore MD.

Eltex - the famine, starvation, destruction, sadness, pain we see in this world are all a result of a world fallen into sin. God doesn't "cause" these things, but he does allow for them in that, as smkyjo pointed out, we are all created with free will and we have brought the world to this state through our collective sin. Even the earth and our universe groan under the weight of our sin. Now and then God does provide a miracle, a small sign of his presence. And most of the time, such miracles also open the door to this very conversation, of how a miraculous, life-saving God could let so many others suffer and starve to death. Even for those of us who understand that these things are the result of sin, it's very hard to accept that we live so comfortably while so many others don't. What is most important is what we do in the context of that situation though. Do we shut ourselves off and blame it on God, or do we allow God to work through us and use us to reach out to others? Every good thing is from God. I have no problem believing that Dale has been preserved from this terrible drowing accident because of his faith and the faith of those who were praying for him. We don't always get what we ask God for, but in this case, this young boy was spared and that sends a powerful message to everyone who hears about it. And Nichole is certainly a heroine - what a brave, selfless young girl. God's fingerprints are all over this story.

Just FYI. God had nothing to do with this. Mostly because he doesn't exist. It was the first responders and Nicole that I call heros. However, she should listen to her dad next time.

Keep your anti-religious bull@!$%# to yourself. Nobody cares.

Ryan - I know, I know, Gods are such fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense.

Peter...you're the one that needs a dose of common sense. People around the world follow different religions. You mention science, but your observational skills are clearly below that of a scientist who would just accept that this is the way humans beings behave.

There is a time and place for everything and this is neither the time or the place for your atheist rantings.

Why did you capitalize the words, God and Gods?

If you were the true cynic that you think you are, that word would be spelled with a little "g".

Perhaps :) I hope I'm wrong.

Peter,

I agree with your first statment 100%....too bad those with faith choose to be selectively blind in matters of sensless tragedy.

The key is COLD water. Therein lies the distinction that science can offer as proof of reason over faith. Youth, cold water and timing helped revive this boy. Change the player to an olderperson in a warm lake and the outcome would be very different.

For those who still believe in a god's hand at work here.....ask yourself why would god harm the youth in the first place? Where is the logic here?

Glad the boy is mending but his healing is a result of excellent medical care, the heroic response from another youth and just plain luck.

In the 18th century Emmanuel Kant proved to the satisfaction of most people that there was no way to prove the existence or non-existence of a God through either logic or experimentation in the book Critique of Pure Reason. This makes the whole issue a matter of faith and renders everyone's OPINION about the matter as good as anyone elses.

While we're at it, why doesn't somebody blame this on Bush or Obama & pull politics into it? Sheesh!!

The problem with the folks praying was, they forgot Gods rule. God help those that help themselves. Since they did nothing to help except pray,(asking god to do all the work) God would deny them and let the boy die. But since other folks actually did something, is why the boy lived not religion or prayer..

I see it is something different, but similar. It's not that he won't help, but rather that he *can't* help unless we are willing to act.

When people ask why God saved this person or let that person die, I tell them that God doesn't really make those decisions anymore. He once made a promise to never again interfere with the free will of humans, which also means his hands are tied when something bad happens. *WE* must live or die by the choices we make. All God can do is give us the courage and tools we need to save ourselves and each other, but *WE* have to act on those gifts.

Instead, what he did do, was give a young girl the boost of courage she needed to go out there and help that young boy. What he did do, was give that boy the will to live and recover from his injuries. But in both cases, they each had to act.

The point, I guess, is that every miracle requires a *partnership*. People who expect God to do things for them will never see success, because God can't help unless *WE* act. Praying alone isn't always enough.

Stephen-3215347
Good post ! Your explaination is right on.

Ryan - (#4.2) Why must one keep their anti-religious bull@!$%# to onesself? Because it counters your pro-religious bull@!$%#?

Purnell,

That was the 18th century. We have evolved into 2011. Empirical testing has provided enough edivence to support the non-existance of a diety. Nature over supernature seems more reasonable today than 200 years ago.

boston7788,

Your claim that "Empirical testing has provided enough edivence to support the non-existance of a diety" is completely nonsensical. Atheists have no evidence to support their beliefs, just like people who believe in God have no evidence either. To imply that science somehow proves there is no God is every bit as unreasonable as to imply that this boy's survival proves there is a God. Just sayin'

Why can't you people just be happy for once that MSNBC posted a feel good story, no politics, no DOW dropping off the charts, just a 12 year old Hero that did something that 99% of you spouting off on this and that rant wouldn't of had the balls to do yourself. Get over yourselves already and recognize this for what it is, a Very Heroic deed by a young life, that saved a young life.

alsoboston...

In the middle ages folks would pray for their loved ones to heal from an illness. Loved ones died.

Today people seek out science instead of prayer to heal via medicine. Loved ones live.

Pretty simple. It's called science.....not god.

"The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you belive in it." - Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson

Boston - you'd have to read the book to understand - but in essence there is the noumenal world and the phenomenal world - to put it in a very simple way "You can't get there from here." By the way, I am a high priest in the Seventh Moon of Jupiter Existential Church - our deity manifests it glory through a talking hockey puck buried at the North Pole by space Aliens.

lol.....fair enough.

KIDS...don't ruin a good news story...no matter HOW, she is a hero and he is alive...

Interesting how this turned to a conversation about God...it takes a greater leap of faith to deny the existence of God then believe the existence of God. Atheism a faulty belief system disproved by science rather then supporting it. Science has substantially confirmed the presence of an uncreated Creator and disproven the Pop theory that the physical world just popped into existence...funny how this has never proven out in observations in the physical world...things popping into existence from nothing. Atheists cannot explain the catalyst behind the Big Bang Theory which requires cause and effect...what caused what caused what caused what...gets back to an uncreated Creator each time as the initial cause. Darwinism has also been soundly defeated by science by disproving the faulty belief system in transmigration of species. There has been no evidence in the fossil record or observed in the physical world where one species has become another such as a fish becoming a bird. There are changes within species but not one shred of scientific evidence of one species becoming another. The missing link is just another leap of faulty faith. However, atheists would rather cling to faulty faith then open their minds to the truth shown to them by observations of the physical world.

Romans 1:18-22

¹⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. ²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.

Donna,

What do you mean by "God" ? If there is something like "goD", for sure it's not "Him".

Dave,

Why do you want Peter to shut up ? This is a free discussion and everybody can comment. Just relax.

Donna,

Actually, "Darwinism", or evolution, has been supported time and again by science and can be seen in front of your very eyes with the example of bacteria multiplying under a microscope, evolving, yes, evolving to become increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Get out and read a book once in awhile. That was just the beginning of what was incorrect about your post; I won't digress to even bother addressing the rest of the BS you posted. "Uncreated creator"?Ugh . You should be ashamed of yourself, I know I'm embarrassed for you.

Have any of the "faithful" considered that our saving the child was intervening in his big plan? Or is that not part of the dogma?

So it was god that saved the child, but it begs the question, what made the child be swept away from riptides? Had the child died, would it have then been "gods will?"

Why not allahs will or the will of buddha? If jainism or taoism was compatable I guess I would ask about them too.

First of all, I want to say that I whole heartedly believe in God. But just because we believe does not give us the right to silence those that don't. We all have the right to our own beliefs. And for us to say it was God's intervention or Thank God, that's our choice, just like it's Pete's choice and everyone else that doesn't belive God had anything to do with this to think the way they do. Who are we to tell them to " Shut Up," just because their beliefs aren't the same as ours? They are entitled to their opinions and beliefs and if we believers have the right to "Thank God," then non believers have the right to say that they don't believe that God had anything to do with it.

VERY DISAPPOINTING....I would have hoped that people would be better than this by now. What started out as a wonderful story about the courage of a young girl to risk her life for another has turned into a bunch of narrow minded people using her selflessness as a springboard to preach selfishly. No matter what your belief is find a different avenue to debate and leave this to people to just appreciate the bravery of two young people. If you don't like the way the story involved a religious aspect then write your own but don't criticize this writer for their point of view.

Chris-2070660 - God's rule??? Where do you get that from? NOWHERE in the bible does it state that God helps those who help themselves. NOWHERE. In fact, we are not supposed to rely on our own strength, we are called to rely on God for all things. That doesn't mean we sit back and do nothing and just let God handle it - but your supposition of a "God's rule" is completely wrong.

Wow. How does it hurt an athiest if someone believes in god? And how does it hurt a christian if someone doesn't? Get over it people - live and let live. Hasn't anyone noticed how, historically, shoving one's opinion down another's throat doesn't usually work?

This was a nice story. I hope Dale lives a great life and Nicole should be proud she was selfless enough to help someone more helpless than herself.

Unusual, if you'd bothered to click on the "photoblog" and read the story from the reporter who was actually there, you'd know that those were other children praying. Other than the girl's father, we are not told what all the adults were doing.

What good does 10 dead adults add to the drowning of one child? If you know you're not a good swimmer and you know the currents are too strong for you to swim-you'd jump in? Unless it was my child, I wouldn't.

The adults were huddled in prayer because the surf was treacherous and to enter it might have meant losing more lives. The 12 yr. old girl was young enough, and inexperienced enough (naive) and entered rougher surf on her own - her father was yelling for her not to go further into rougher seas. Given those facts of the story - we should be thankful that the headline is not telling a tale of TWO tragedies.

I agree with Rob....

You are assuming those adults even knew how to swim. Don't add more chaos or tragedy by acting outside of the scope of your abilities.

Rick-Clearly there were adults present since her father attempted to stop the girl and if none of the adults could swim or were incapable of attempting a water rescue, they should not have taken a group of children surfboarding in the first place. If the surf was "treacherous" and the seas were rough, the adults should have been responsible enough to keep the children out of the water. Since they allowed them to do something dangerous, it was incumbent on them to at least attempt a rescue even if it meant putting their own lives in danger. Huddling on the shore in prayer does not absolve them of their responsibility for the safety of those children.

This is a good story with a happy ending. Unless you were there on the beach that day you don't know how the whole thing played out. Don't be so quick to judge the people (kids) praying or the decision that Shanon (Nicole's dad) made by going in and getting one kid out safely. Nicole should have listened to her dad, but she didn't. I can tell you personally Nicole got a lecture at home for going in that water to try to rescue Dale when she is not a qualified rescue person and she was told that a lot of the times it is the unqualified rescuer that drowns. Be thankful it had such a happy ending!

Ya, and Dad had his tail between his leggs in front of Mom, what a Man! Teach your kids to be like Nicole not her Daddy (Stull)

unusual is ignoring the fact (as stated in the article) that the girl was already out there with a floatation device. Not necessarily an "approved floatation device" for rescue, but she was hardly just out there swimming on her own - as unusual is apparently suggesting everyone on the beach should have attempted.

Don't let your fear of religion or faith make you stupid.

shaun

"daddy" is my boyfriend and Nicole is his daughter. Mom lives in California. Daddy was saving another kid when Nicole went into the water to help Dale. You sound like an a$$ because you are so quick to judge. Maybe you should read all of the articles on this story and not just this one and then maybe you would learn how the whole thing played out and not just one reporters version. THERE WERE TWO KIDS DROWNING NOT JUST ONE! The one that "daddy" rescued went into the water to save Dale and got caught in the rip tide. Read the ARTICLES shaun.

shaun garrett-3893807

Ya, and Dad had his tail between his leggs in front of Mom, what a Man! Teach your kids to be like Nicole not her Daddy (Stull)

-----------------------------------------

So, if you were out in water like that with your 12-year-old daughter, you would encourage her to put her life in danger, making you more of a Man? While it's wonderful that her attempt was successful in that the boy's life was saved, she's lucky to be alive. I hope you don't have any children.

Daddy and Nicole were not a part of the church group shaun!

Ashley...yes...unusual..yes....

I don't think daddy will be appearing on "Good Morning America" with Nicole too soon.

Rob..If it was your 12 yr old daughter in danger and trying to save a struggling boy ...you wouldn't grab another bogey board?

..I don't think you've been a parent.

Look at Shaun, the brave man. He would encourage his own child to go into a situation that would likely kill her, and that makes him a man! Sorry, Shaun, that would make you a terrible, terrible father. Please don't ever reproduce; although seeing as you sound like a fat man with no idea what a crisis truly entails, who lives in his mother's basement, typing personal insults shielded by the anonymity of the internet to honest, decent people with your cheeto-stained hands, I don't think that anyone would have low enough self-respect to allow you to sire their child.

unusual nailed it. Either the church group was criminally negligent for leaving kids at the ocean without adequate supervision and safety devices or lacked the courage to attempt a rescue of one of their charges.

Nicole is a kid doing what kids do. She is the heroine of the story. At no time should responsibility for any of the kids from the church group be placed on her brave shoulders. Nor should her father be held accountable. It should be noted however that he has raised one great kid.

Bottom line, none of these events would have happened if those in charge of the church outing hadn't been negligent in the first place.

ANYONE can grab a boogie board to help.

A Cooler or anything that floats.

The praying does not float.

Here's the thing. You wouldn't want ME to attempt to rescue you from the water - I am a non-swimming rock. However, with that in mind, I don't go to the beach very often. When I do, I watch for the red flags that they post to let you know whether conditions are unsafe, and I don't let my kids go anywhere beyond where I could get to them if necessary. I'm fairly particular about letting my kids go anywhere with anyone, but that would be especially true of sending them off to the beach without me present. They don't necessarily appreciate my concern, but they don't appreciate a lot of the stuff I put them through right now.

All that said, obviously the father mentioned here has raised a courageous girl which speaks well of him and her. And, the girl probably saved Dale's life. Anything else - including opinions about anything from anyone who wasn't there - is fairly irrelevant.

Any reason why Daddy and all the rest of the lazy adults waited for Mr Mendez to show up to find a kid that took a few minutes upon his arrival?

Few mins on a jetski. Shaun, it's best you just stfu now. You are simply looking like a forum troll at this point.

I will bet that all of you yapping your gums about how the parents didn't do anything, that you idiots would not have jumped into that water either. Some people just have this idiotic need to toot their own horn, I guess it makes them feel real good about themselves. What ever people. The story is about the Girl being a Hero and that is what she is. If you people need to be all nasty and just plain mean, go to a story about politics and let 'er rip. Not here.

I am with Usual:

By the time rescuers had reached the beach, fellow members of the church group Dale had been traveling with were huddled in tears and prayer while some stood on trucks trying to get a vantage point to spot him.

Christians huddled in tears praying.

What a joke, and sorry, but I don't have kids, but I sure as hell would rather die trying than live with myself for being too scared to save a kid.

Nope, these clowns pray to the god that just drowned a kid, then thank him for the miracle when he barely hangs on. Did it ever occur to you that if there was some all mighty being that helped this kid live, that same powerful being might have saved a lot of people a lot of headaches by.... I don't know, keeping the kid at home that day, making the surf less dangerous, or maybe even giving the kid the ability to swim ?

And thank your god that there was a girl who hasn't been indoctrinated with your BS who jumped in and actually did something beyond hopeful inter-voicing an invisible force. Thank your god some people took classes and acquired the skills to rescue her, because anyone with a lick of sense knows prayers didn't save this kid, people who took action did.

stull...ignore shaun..he's a do*uche..

Tell Nicole she is someone any kid can look up to, and tell her father that he has a wonderful daughter...sounds like they are both pretty special...

ScottW14

So bitter, so angry. You don't know much about beaches and water rescues it sounds. Just an excuse to attack I suppose, so sad.

Stull

If Nicole were my daughter I would've yelled for her to come back too, so glad she's safe. Her dad did all the right things and she has a big, brave heart! Too often the rescuer drowns with the victim.

Also, I have to add. My husband is a fireman and it is RARE to go without a pulse that long and survive! I'm not sure the water was cold enough to make a difference, like drowning in a frozen pond can... the whole thing is a miracle and Nicole was part of it!

As far as comments about "criminal negligence" or "dangerous waters"...
As someone who has spent much time swimming/surfing in the Pacific Ocean I can tell you that ANY TIME you enter the ocean you are entering "dangerous waters". Even the most apparently calm of seas can house hidden currents and a rip tide can come from anywhere at any time. Knowing the conditions at Long Beach, and knowing that a girl was on a boogie board, I'd guess there were small waves, probably no more than about 2 feet in height, and certainly nothing I'd be particularly alarmed about. However, I always remember the rule my mother taught me: Never turn your back on the ocean, simply because anything can come from it - rogue waves, rip tides, sharks, whatever you can imagine, the ocean can produce it. That being said, there was nothing negligent or inherently dangerous about allowing children to swim and play in these types of conditions, provided it was with adult supervision. However, if a rip tide does occur that isn't always enough, as was the case here. The strongest of adult swimmers can be caught by a rip tide as they come in hard and fast, and if you're caught in one, you're out farther than you could have imagined in less time than you ever thought. If there is a rip tide, unless the person is still close to shore (not quite all the way caught by the current) or unless you are a trained rescuer, you SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT a rescue. The probability that you yourself will get caught is very, very high. As someone else posted earlier, no need for multiple deaths, especially if a rescuer is available.

I actually think it's kinda funny how you are all getting mad at each other over this.

Yes, I am a Christian. I believe God helped intervene. I don't know why He let Dale drown in the first place, and I am not going to try to explain or give reason. I just believe that He has a purpose for all things. Maybe Dale needed this experience to help him with something that will happen to him in the future. Maybe he needed someone like Nichole to look up to. Who knows.

I don't know all the facts about what happened. I just read the story on MSNBC. I wasn't there, I haven't talked to anyone who was there. If it was me on that beach, I don't know if I would have jumped in the water or not. I'd like to say I would, but until you are in that situation, you can't really know how you would react. That was quick thinking on Nichole's part, especially for someone of her age. I cried when I read the story. It's very heart-warming. I would be honored to know someone like Nichole.

I'm still a teenager. I don't pretend to know all the answers; I'm still looking for them myself. So I'm not going to say any one of your comments or opinions about religion is right or wrong. I know what I believe and that's good enough for me. If I can pursuade others to believe the same thing, then that's awesome! But if I am wrong, no biggy. In the end I die and that's that. But if I am right in what I believe, I end up spending eternity in paradise and you (non-christians) made a grave mistake.

It's your choice what you want to believe. I hope you make the right choice.

Godspeed on your recovery Dale. Thank you for being such a blessing and influence to me Nichole!

Daniel: Beautifully stated!

Wow, Daniel. That was probably the most mature, sensible, and intelligent - not to mention well-written - comment I've seen on any comment board on any story ever. Congratulations. Well done.

nicole was already in the position to help the boy the other adults on shore would not have been able to do much without proper equipment in a rip current! it would have been a bigger disaster so they left it for the pros who could handle it! Nicole did a good thing trying to save him but God is the one doing miracles in this situation! This is truely amazing God is clearly showing the wonders he can do for a boy who drowned and was basicaly dead for almost 15 minutes without oxygen and then now he is alive and making recovery! Gods works are amazing to witness and see working in everyday life!!! GOD IS AMAZING!!

Thank you, Daniel. Such a well written comment and you didn't even attack anyone or anyone's belief system! How mature! I, too, am a Christian. (And a scientist. For the record I think God, the Big Bang, evolution, and science all go together beautifully.)

Here is my take on "Why do bad things happen to good people?": Can you imagine a world where only good things happened to you all the time, every day? What if you got every job you applied for? (What happened to all the other candidates?) What if you had everything you ever wished for? What if you never faced adversity? How would you grow? How would you learn to appreciate everything you have? Not everyone can win every time. Every life must end at some time. Etc etc.

I know that in my life, I have appreciated the good things so much more when I have triumphed over adversity. That being said, relatively speaking, I have not faced horrible things like losing a child. I am sure my opinion would be of little comfort to these families if they had lost a child.

God is amazing, he does answer prayers; I mean, just look at all the rain we have had in Texas lately.

I would love to be able to follow both Dale's and Nichole's life to see what will happen to them in the future. I think they both have amazing lives ahead of them.

Celnav:

Rain in Texas? What are you kidding me?!? I don't know which part of Texas you live in but it's dry as a rock over on my side. Haven't had any rain in nearly two months

Jillo:

How can God, the Big Bang, and evolution all go together? There can only be one truth, therefore God (and His creation) and the big bang cannot both be true. Either God created the world in six days like He said, or the world just came into existance from nothing, or it evolved over millions of years, or something else happened. But they can't go together.

However, I love your insight on adversity. I thought that was extremely well put.

@Daniel53: I believe Celnav was being a bit sarcastic...an well put in 5.25 post. Have a great life.

why can't God, the Big Bang, and evolution go together? Scientists still cannot determine what kind of a catalyst occurred to create the Big Bang. Why does 6 days have to literally be six days - couldn't one of God's six days be representative of, say, a million years?

For that person who said Darwin's theory was proved correct is wrong. Yes, evolution is a scientific fact, but they have found plenty of evidence to prove that homosapiens did NOT evolve from apes/monkeys/gorrillas.

mb is right. Even the Bible doesn't say HOW God created everything. (I'm not hung up on the 7 day thing since the Bible also expressly states that God operates on his own schedule - not ours. A day is like a thousand years, etc.) Like Jill, I have no problem whatsoever with the idea that God set certain processes that we like to call "scientific" into place - something anti-God scientists don't really like to discuss, I guess. But, that's OK. Perhaps when they figure out what the two turtles are standing on (to use a metaphor from another belief system), they'll see God.

As for adults standing by, meh. Most people stand by and do nothing. There are only a few that will go towards a danger in the attempt to save others. It sounds as though Nicole is a member of that, smaller group of mankind.

I believe along the same lines as mb and Miker. They said it well. I do not think the 6 days are 24 hrs/day as we understand it. I believe God used evolution to create all the species you see today. I don't see contradictions between science and God. Any church that tells me that dinosaurs don't exist (I've been to one) or that I can't believe in evolution is not one for me.

As I continually learn more and more science through my career I often wonder at the beauty and complexity and have no doubts in my mind it is all of God.

Vessel123

JillO-1115976

Miker-3057253

BY THE WAY Daniel53 has fooled you all. That man is not a teenager. Do a little research. For as sweet and nice and well spoken he sounds it's a front. So for me anyone so deceptive is a .............. ( ends in ......opath )

Good article though.

Not so good posts.

imrightnotyou:

I really am a teenager. I don't have to prove it, but I am. I just may be a little more well-read than some kids my age. But no, not a psychopath.

imrightnotyou:

I researched Daniel53 and found nothing to suggest he is not really a teenager. Where's your backup? If your accusations are true, prove it. Otherwise STFU.

Daniel, you certainly don't have to prove anything. The quality of your posts speaks for itself.

Thank you Ashley

What a beautiful post, hardyhar! No one could say it better..

Indeed it is stories of heroism like this that give me hope and restore a little of my almost lost faith in humanity.

hardyhar - An absolutely beautiful post. Two children saved, one a little heroine. Let us rejoice in that, rather than the usual bickering about who should have done what. Little Nicole didn't bicker or think for a minute. She went to someone's aid without thought to her own safety which is why this story is so great. Neither child was lost. Of course, knowing the dangerous conditions, if she were my child, I would have been as frantic as her father, but relieved and proud at the outcome.

God put this child in his pocket and kept him safe with the help of Nicole. We all need to listen when called on. I pray that I will have the courage of Nicole if I am called on.

amen

Amen Brother!

Well said! This is a wonderful story and all that people need to see is that this turned out positively. Rejoice in the good and be thankful. In a world of mostly bad news, this is a remarkable story of hope, faith and heroism! What a story!

Good luck Dale!

Nicole, you are so very brave. (A child will lead them)

:)

Luck is an other word for fantasy. The term is used loosely but its origin dates back to superstition, which in turn leads to many mythical beliefs. Is it any wonder people are so confused as to who should be getting credit for all of this? Yet man will always deny that there truly is a living God and is quite concerned over the affairs of human beings. Regardless of what your beliefs are, Its nice to know that there still exist the hope in some one greater than ourselves who can be called upon, and that is exactly what was done in this situation. I hope for the nay-sayers that when your time is up on this planet you also will call upon the one that will welcome you in his loving arms. "Peace".

Kids Nicole's age huddling, not adults.

Tell us all how you would have done it tiredofitall14. Tell us just how brave you are, and how you would have dove straight into that surf and how you would be the Hero du jeur. We would all like to know, we are all waiting.

Lets not get emotional now..I would emagine if a 12 year old is capable of no hesitation, away we go attitude, I suppose an adult like me could handle it. BTW, I'm 6Ft3, 190Lbs. Not a fat 14 although I do like Cheetos like one of the other bloggers mentioned..Like I said previously, everyone waited until Mr Mendez showed up and only that time did a person go in after her JetSkii or no Jet Skii..The reason they use Jet Skiis in a situation like that is to cover ground not from being worried about currents dip sh.t. So, the answere to your question is an easy one, I WOULD NOT HAVE HESITATED TO SEARCH FOR DALE WHILE WAITING FOR Mr Mendez. People were standing on the tail gates of there cars trying to locate him..The only way to find a body or anything possible submerged is to go in..nuff said dou.. ba.

Shaun

If you did not have a jet ski or boogie board and fins plus, no visual of the boy, you would've likely just become another liability. Plus, who is the everyone who waited, do you know? Kids and non-lifeguard-trained people maybe?

If it were my child I would be in that water in a heartbeat with the full understanding that I may just be going down with him.

Being a Christian and raised in a Christian home, I find humor in anyone trying to define and defend any religion on these discussion boards. I find even more humor in the sarcasm and the things people say to get others all fired up. You're doing great. Just remember, they tried to tell you.

Thanks for sharing your credentials, Rob. It still doesn't change the truth. For some reason it just bugs me when people thank God for something an actual human being did. Call me crazy.

Peter - Again....go away! You don't know the truth. You will once you die, but until then, you won't. You can believe in something, have faith in it. You choose to put your eggs in the wrong basket.

Rob,

I'm curious about your last sentence.....

what did they try to tell me?

Peter I am not a religious person and it offends me that it offends you that there are religious people out there. Leave them alone they are not hurting you in any way.

For the record if you watch the news you will see Nicole with her grandmother. Her grandmother is a Cherokee Indian and she is a very spiritual person does that offend you also?

Dave how do you KNOW what will happen when we die. you THINK you know because of your religions teachings. But you do not really KNOW.

That is the problem with people not really liking your religion, it claims it KNOWS what happens when it's knowledge was garnered from a 2k year old book written by men who claimed god told them what to write. So while I will not begrudge you your "faith" I will still call you out for all the "truth" you spout when you know not if it is true or not.

remember your entire religion is based on Faith, And "faith" is having trust in something that cannot be proven in any way.

@stull..........I agree with you that ANYONE who is not religious should just leave it be. You are correct that "they are not hurting you in any way." If people want to believe in God or not that is their perogitive and NO ONE ELSES. I myself do believe in God, or atleast that their is someone/something that is more powerful then any human being. I don't care what people say is "scientific" there are many things that cannot be explained by science but are true.

I never wrote someone should believe in or not believe in anything, and I'm not offended by any beliefs. Read my words, not what you want to hear. However, I'm not surprised religious people are taking text out of context.

stef,

The Problem is other people's faiths and religions do indeed affect mine and your life. When legislation is propossed and passed via a religious pathway,it intereres with my civil rights. When a sitting presidents make decisions based on his/her faiths or religious beliefs... I am affected and offended.

Reproductive rights, women's rights, birth control...all issues that paralyze the country because of mixed religious views.

Do what you want in YOUR house....not in mine.

Keep your religion out of my rights and I won't care who or what you pray too.

Peter,

You are truly uneducated enough in church science and real science to debate about whether or not there is a God, Gods or Not...

And there is not enough time or space here for me here to argue to point either way with you in this thread. So suffice to say please be quiet, and rejoice in a childs life being saved...

P.S. I'll also pray for you, and I will not stand by a body of 'Cold Water'.

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17

The definition of faith has been altered. Review what was written over 2000 years ago to find the truth... about everything. Peter, this is for you too.

Of course the definition of faith has been altered. it was altered just so it could try and prove your point.

Chris, stull, and the rest of the trolls - what are you going to do if you are wrong?

Sorry, stull, got the name off of the wrong post. Sadly, the trolls and idiots won't listen or read much, and they need the most help. I hope they cannot buy guns in their state. Sometimes mental illness is easy to spot.

What good does 10 dead adults add to the drowning of one child? If you know you're not a good swimmer and you know the currents are too strong for you to swim-you'd jump in? Unless it was my child, I wouldn't.

Gee, the Child (Nicole) could have drowned as well. Whats your point? The Dad did not do anything and his daughter did. If his daughter had drowned he would not only get a severe whooping from his wife but would never ever be able to live with himself..Da.

Phuck if the dad didn't do anything he was rescuing another child when Nicole tried to save the other. Her father was yelling at her to get back to shore and when she didn't and she and Dale flipped off of the board he was trying to get to her and he was yelling for her to get back on her board. Nicole and Shanon were not a part of the church group they were down on the beach boogie boarding when all of this came into play. Pay attention!

Some people don't know any better. They are so wrapped up in themselves that they can't see Heroism and give credit where credit is due. It doesn't matter if you Believe in God or even if you Don't. This girl did something so Heroic, that 99% of us on here will never ever do, even if faced with the challenge. The thing is, debate all you want on all of the other bad news stories out there, just leave this one alone and play nice. GOD BLESS YOU NICOLE!!!

shaun SHUT THE F*K UP!!

Damn, man, don't you have some video games to play?

Seriously, your stoopid is showing...

Your last sentence is the very reason people get turned off to all things religious. Your self-righteous superiority based on your religious views only alienates people who might one day decide to explore their spiritual side. We're all walking our own path and assuming that everyone must converge on the path called Christianity in order to be happy is both pompous and arrogant. I'm not against religion or those who chose Christianity...I'm against those who would assume that it's the correct path for EVERYONE.

Maybe Jehovah, Yahweh, God, or whatever his name is can bless you with his holy spirit,so you can improve your grammar. Bible Thumper.

Well said "Wake Up"! If you try to shove something down a person's throat, they're very likely to choke on it. Live and let live.

Ah, "the love chapter". :)

Yes, indeed. It still holds more truth and meaning than any law or lawmaker around and, when put into action, still has a more positive effect than the words of any of today's supposed "experts."

Nicoles Dad is not a responsible individual bottom line..He did nothing to save the drowning boy and unfortunately let his daughter leave his side and did'nt even try to keep her from drowning as well. I will not sit here like most of you on here and ignore this fact..The Dad did nothing and if I was his wife I would beat his a..than divorce him, lol..Feel good story though Father again only cared about his own survival and no one elses..Now he has to live with that in the back of his mind that he is a wussy..

The real tragedy was that no parent was parent enough to risk their life for the child. Dad wasn't there, and I didn't read about a mother. So who was in charge of this child? Someone was not doing there job as a guardian.

It took a 12 year old to show them that some things are worth the risk.

Phuck You shaun garret, yes he is. He saved one drowning boy. There were two boys drowning not one. The reporters love the kid rescue kid story over the real story.

Geez shaun foot in your mouth, read my above post. I don't have any NADS I am a woman. Dad was telling the people on the beach to call 911 he gave the people the location to tell the 911 operator where this was all going down. There is 22 miles of driving beach on the Peninsula, 22 miles! No shaun they didn't wait 15 minutes for the rescue team to get there. They were trying to find this boy after Nicole lost him. The rescue team came with their rescue gear and were able to find the boy. shaun why don't you come to this beach and go for a swim and see what a rip tide here is all about. See shaun you don't live here so you don't understand what happened. I hope you have a good day and a good life.

@stull

Obviously Shaun Garrett didn't read any of the above posts, or he would know Nicole's dad was trying to save another boy who got caught in the current, while yelling to her to get back to shore. Though I respect and appreciate that you are trying to get all the posters here to understand what happened before drawing their own (incorrect) conclusions, it seems you are doing so in vain, as there will always be people, like Shaun, who are only interested in posting their ignorant opinions instead of also listening to others.
Regardless, Nicole is a very brave, very headstrong girl. I only wish there were more people like her in the world. You and her father must be very proud.

Look, I'm just saying that I find it hard to believe that everyone was on shore after nicole lost Dale off the boogie board..They thought it to be a good idea to look for dale above ground from the back of pick up trucks instead of going in the water and trying to find him physically, get it! no one did @!$%# but wait for Mr Mendez and his crew to show up. Now please, if I'm missing something here please tell me. Again, the story from what I see has everyone on Shore until Mr Mendez arrived. Nuff said..Kudos once again to the 12 year old shes gets a "A" and the bystanders get an "f" for failure..

As a (I don't like this word) so called "step mom" I was very angry at her for not listening to her dad. I was raised on this Peninsula and I know the dangers of our ocean and it's current. I did lecture her for not listening. I am very thankful it played out the way it did, it was pure luck.

As far as the reporters go I have talked to many of them. One of them I even told that the kid on kid story makes a better story for them than the whole story. I told them Nicole is flying back to California and it is up to her mother if she wants Nicole to do anymore interviews. I have read all of the stories and it is funny how they change. One states Shanon said he "feels like a frog" he said he sounds like a frog from all of the yelling (he lost his voice) another states he asked the kid if he was drowning. He did not ask the drowning kid if he was drowning. What happened is he and Nicole were doing their own thing when he heard a group of kids yelling he asked a person on the beach if someone was drowning. There were a group of kids in the water that were trying to help Dale as the rip tide was carrying him out. One of the kids trying to save Dale was going under he was the closet to Shanon so he pulled him out and was going back for Dale when he noticed his daughter (a kid and not thinking of the danger she was getting into) going after Dale, he Shanon was going in to save his daughter by that time Dale had disappeared. After his daughter got to shore safely next was Dale by that time Search and rescue started to arrive with the proper rescue equipment and they pulled Dale out. Fifteen minutes may sound like a long time to us but when you are the one trying to save these kids it's not very long.

We are very thankful for the out come and I as a life long resident of this area hope that this will be a lesson learned. I do know Nicole said she wil only wade in the ocean from now on.

As far of those only wanting to see one side of the coin I feel very sorry for them. It is so easy for one to judge another not realizing we all live in glass houses and there are two sides to every coin.

shaun garrett-3893807

Hey Dummy, Why is one kid (safe) who most likely was not as in worst condition at the moment than his friend (Dale) in Hospital rescued by a 12 year old..Dad took the easy route and most likely the other kid was not in that bad a shape compared to Dale. I'm reading the same story you are and unless you were there things are being added to by your own assumption moron and not how the story reads.. Gee, I wonder why no one is talking about Dads heroic save of the other kid who is OK. Dad and you most likely have no NADS..

Like I said before and agree with the others on here, no one did anything even after Nicole came to shore, Dad included..You mean to tell me that Dad or any other responsible adult waited 15 minutes for Mr Mendez to leave work, get in his car and drive over for help, thats pathetic..You should be ashamed you spineless beatch to defend any of the actions that the Adults failed upon in the moment of truth..

---------------------------------------

How dare you call this honest, intelligent woman (stull) a dummy and a beatch! You're lucky she even took the time to talk to you at all and even then you were too stupid to absorb what she said. For a father to encourage his 12 year old daughter to place her life in extreme danger by swimming on her boogie board alone into a deep rip current to take on the job normally done by a team of two trained adult rescue swimmers would be absurd. I commend the father for saving the other boy and for making an attempt to keep his daughter from swimming into the dangerous rip current. Don’t get me wrong; I’m in awe of Nicole’s incredibly brave rescue of Dale, but I have to say that if I were in her father’s position, I would have reacted exactly as he did.

Stop jumping to conclusions, grow up, listen, and make calm, rational assessments. Stop placing so much value on having "NADS." There are more important things in life!

Nads are the most valuable thing Shaun has. Fortunatly, living in his mother's basemnet, with no friends, it is unlikely he will reproduce, thus saving the world of one less knucklehead.

If you think God had a hand in Dales survival, good. If you think Nichole is a brave little girl, better. If you think it was dumb luck, I feel sorry for you.

I wouldn't be surprised if Dale eventually wrote a book about this experience

Thank you Rick!

Well said Rick. An individual with compassion is hard to find these days.

So says the name caller.