[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 211 (Friday, December 22, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      COMMEMORATING GEROLD PRATHER

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                           HON. BILL HUIZENGA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 22, 2023

  Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commemorate 
the heroic actions of Gerold Prather. On May 15, 2022, Mr. Prather of 
Kalamazoo, Michigan, rescued a teenage boy who was struggling to swim 
in Lake Michigan.
  That day, the teenage boy and his friends were at least 100 feet out 
in the lake when they started to call for help. The friends were 
struggling and had submerged under the water.
  In another group at the beach, Mr. Prather heard calls for help, 
entered the lake, and swam to the boys. Reaching them, the boys 
submerged and resurfaced. With difficulty, Mr. Prather first pushed a 
boy toward the beach and then positioned him on his back and towed him 
to a point about 50 feet from shore where, tiring, Mr. Prather shouted 
for help. Another man waded into the lake and helped Mr. Prather and 
the boy get to the beach.
  In honor of these lifesaving actions, Mr. Prather has been awarded 
the Carnegie Medal, a prestigious honor bestowed upon those who ``enter 
extreme danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of 
others.'' Mr. Prather is one of 16 total Carnegie Medal recipients 
slated to receive the honor in 2023.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking Mr. Prather for his heroism 
and commemorating him for his lifesaving actions.

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