Howard County leaders gathered Monday to honor three community members with a Certificate of Recognition for saving a woman from drowning at Centennial Park Lake.
Cale Maynard, a 27-year-old Howard County resident, was teaching his nephew how to fish near Centennial Lake’s boat ramp on June 14. He heard a cry for help around 6:30 p.m. and immediately grabbed a life vest.
“Take a moment to really think about that,” said Howard County Fire Chief Louis Winston at Monday’s recognition ceremony. “A man spending a quiet evening with his nephew suddenly hears a cry for help, and his first instinct is to act.”
Maynard swam out to a group of two kayakers, finding one of them face down in the water. He began towing the woman back to land. He later said it was physically demanding, but Maynard was focused on saving the woman, according to Winston. On his way back, two Howard County Recreation and Parks employees responded by boat to assist Maynard.
Leo Pertman, a 16-year-old boat rental assistant from Reservoir High School, and Makiyia Staunton, a 20-year-old Boat Rental Manager at Adventure Shack, helped safely tow the woman back to the Centennial Boat Ramp.
“Cale, Makiyia, Leo, you’re truly heroes. I know that not only saving a life is incredibly important, but saving a life has a ripple effect on that family, on our neighborhood, on our community, on our future,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball.
Maynard, Pertman and Staunton all received Certificates of Recognition for their heroism and a personal letter from Ball.
The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services later transported the woman to Shock Trauma, and she has since been discharged. It was later determined she had a health emergency while on the water, Winston said.
“If Mr. Maynard hadn’t been there, if Miss Staunton and Mr. Pertman hadn’t acted as quickly as they did, this could have ended very, very differently,” he said. “Their actions quite literally saved a life.”
The longtime fire chief reminded residents to always call 9-1-1 immediately and wear a life vest while on the water.
