Four rescuers are honored for saving swimmers on Candlewood Lake

An adult and three teenagers were honored in Sherman for a rescue on Candlewood Lake in August, FOX61 reported. At a ceremony in Charter Hall, George Nanos, 15-year-old Hannah Welling, and 14-year-olds Jaden Vazquez and Keen Cercy received citations from the Connecticut General Assembly.

State Rep. Patrick Callahan said the Welling and Nanos families were on the lake when three young men got into trouble near Chicken Rock. Nanos and Hannah went into the water with life jackets and, with two people from the swimmers' own boat, brought two of them to a rocky shore about 15 yards away. Hannah had just finished lifeguard certification. She gave CPR to a swimmer who had no pulse and directed a bystander on rescue breaths until the pulse returned. Jaden and Keen, who were boating nearby, heard the shouting, brought their boat over, and took the third swimmer aboard. Marine patrol and the Sherman Fire Department carried all three to ambulances at Sail Harbour. Two went to a hospital.