Authored by: CW2 (RET) Stephen C. Klein
Photos by: Statesville Record and Landmark
On Wednesday, 26 July 2023 during the summer break, recent graduate Rome Lackey, Cadet Cameron Morrison, and Cadet Mack Shook were kayaking on Lookout Shoals Lake. They passed a small group of young men swinging on a rope above a small cliff face, going out over the lake. One of the young men attempted to do a backflip when he dismounted, however his foot slipped into the eye loop on the end of the rope. He then swung back in and hit the cliff face and then back over the water where he was submerged upside down, chest deep in the water. He thrashed around trying to keep his head above water. His friends attempted to help but the water was to deep and they would have to tread water but would not be able to lift him up nor release his foot.
This is when Rome Lackey, Cameron Morrison and Mack Shook saw that the young male was in crisis and needed immediate assistance. They quickly paddled back to help him. His body weight was starting to cause his foot to change color due to poor blood circulation because the eye loop was acting like a tourniquet on his foot. Working together, Rome, Cameron and Mack balance their kayaks and assisted in keeping his head out of the water. The cadets produced a pocket knife and cut the rope to free his foot.
The young man was severely bruised and had several scrapes and lacerations on his face, chest, arms and legs to include the his foot was extremely sore. This young man was incredibly lucky that Rome, Cameron and Mack were out on the lake that day. While they had no idea that they would save someones life, their presence and assistance kept him from drowning. Rome Lackey was a recent graduate from West Iredell High School and was a cadet in the Warrior Battalion. Rome Lackey is enlisted in the United States Army. Cameron Morrison and Mack Shook are cadets at West Iredell High School JROTC Warrior Battalion and their actions saved the life of that young man that day.
The Medal of Heroism was present by Major General (Ret) James B. Mallory to Cadet Cameron Morrison and Cadet Mack Shook.
Statesville Record and Landmark newspaper article
Click here to read more.