If it weren’t for an invitation to join Scouting in the first grade and his father’s Eagle rank, 13-year-old Patrick Radanovich might not have had the necessary Scouting skills to save his mother from a sinkhole. Patrick received the Boy Scouts of America Medal of Merit for Lifesaving.

Patrick’s parents attribute their son’s bravery and levelheadedness to skills he learned in Scouting. A sinkhole had formed and filled with water in the families’ yard. The family dog fell into the sinkhole and was trapped. Patrick’s mom called for him to help her before jumping into the hole to push their dog out, but got stuck herself. Patrick knew he had to stay calm and save his mother, so he tied a rope to a nearby tree and found a ladder to help her climb out.

When asked what he would say to a Cub Scout in a similar situation, Patrick responded, “Stay calm, think back to everything you have learned in Scouting and believe in yourself.”