Meaningful Moments

I wasn't happy today. In fact, I've been like that for a week.

Although I've had some good assignments I just haven't made any images, in my opinion, that are worthwhile and meaningful.

I spent the morning down on the Mexico side of the border port of entry. The residents of San Luis Rio Colorado and Sonora were protesting about the outrageous electric rates in the summer, something the new president vowed to take care of.

I got some good images, but not great.

Before that assignment I met up with Bruce Jackson, a retired businessman in the area. I wasn't happy with part of that shoot.

So around 3:30 p.m. I went home for lunch and decided, you know what, I'm going back down to the border. I called Bruce and got the photo I needed then hit the border to see if the human blockade was still in effect. It wasn't.

On my way into Friendship Park I saw some kids playing in the canal by the border fence. Kids? Well, more like teenagers.

When I left the park they were still down there, so I turned left and went on the dirt road. At first I had a changed my mind about going. I didn't want to get my car stuck in the sand and kids tend to not act natural when the camera is around.

I went anyway.

When I got to the canal I introduced myself and said I was from the paper, got names and was good to go. I realized at that moment this little feature-shot detour was going to be fun. It wasn't just any canal, but one with a waterfall-ramp-slip'n'slide area. The kids were going down it like they were at a water park.




The water was pretty shallow along this stretch of the canal and the current was only rough when the water transitioned from slope to straight. All in all it seemed pretty safe.





I got the pictures I wanted and coincidentally, found a spot nobody at the paper knew about, so it hasn't been in the paper like we do the river.

Everyone was having a good time, and for once these seven days, me too.

Then things changed.

Just about when I was ready to call it quits I caught something out the corner of my eye. One of the kids, a younger boy, went down the ramp but stopped. I immediately noticed a rope around his leg and realized this was the real deal. He could lose his foot, or worse, drown.

It took me a few seconds to figure out the best way to get this kid safe was to untie the rope from the top where it was tied, and not on his foot - the current was way to strong. So I dropped my camera - not far, just set it down, I wouldn't drop company equipment - and ran up the hill. The kids on the top had no idea that their friend, and one girls' brother, was stuck in the current.

I found the other end of the rope, tightly wound around a metal square on the side of the canal, slid down and unwound and untied the rope. It took close to a minute. The other guys up top helped pull the rope holding the child up to get enough slack to get it undone.

That wasn't the worst part.

Once released from the rope the boys friends carried him up to the top of the canal. The girls there were hysterical. The boy's ankle had severe rope burn - it cut deep into his leg all around. I won't go into detail by it was gruesome.

I grabbed a shirt and tossed it to the other side, telling the kids to wrap it around his ankle and to keep it from bleeding, and put it up.

I then grabbed my phone to dial 911. Apparently, when near the border with Sprint, it's International Roam. I got the emergency center for Mexico, who didn't speak English . I look around and spotted the Border Patrol agent who I talked with earlier that day. I waved him down while the two of the girls ran to the BP truck on the other side.

Both agents came to assist and had first-aid kids. One of them called an ambulance which arrived very quickly.

The boy made it, but I'm sure this ordeal is very traumatic. My heart goes out to him, his sister and parents. I hope to find out how's he's doing later this week.

It's amazing how fast you have to react. I've never been in a situation like this but I had just moments to make a decision, and in some ways I feel that if I wasn't there, who knows what could have happened.

Now for the hard part. I also realize that while I became part of the news today, it's also my responsibility to document it. No matter how uncomfortable it was I had to get the picture. Here's two frames with the boy and his sister.







I made sure the ambulance arrived and that the boy was OK first before I took off. From what I hear he's doing pretty good.




Our paper picked up the story when I got back to the office. I have photos on A1 all the time, but never "my" photo.

NPPA10.org and Sportsshooter.com also heard about it and posted the story on their web.


When I look back on this moment in time I can't help but ask two questions.



1. Was this fate? If I wasn't so dissatisfied with the work I put out lately I would have been at home at 5:19 p.m. Wednesday afternoon eating dinner, not at the canal.



2. Why did I catch the kids in the canal out the corner of my eye when there's things I don't see?


Funny how things work.

Funny how seconds can change a life.

Funny how as a photographer, being at the right place at the right time is key to our job.


I helped save a kid's life today - which is funny coming out of my mouth because I don't talk about myself much - and that's better than any photo I can take any day of the week, ever.