Scout honored for rescue at Riverpark

Eli Wittum

By Kathy Chaffin

kchaffin@salisburypost.com

CLEVELAND — Eli Wittum was being named today as one of 22 recipients of the Carnegie Medal, which is given throughout the United States and Canada to individuals who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.

As a recipient of the medal, awarded by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, 17-year-old Wittum will also receive a $5,000 financial award.

Wittum, the son of Cyndi Allison Wittum and Jimmy Wittum, both of Cleveland, was at a Boy Scout meeting Wednesday night when a Post reporter called to ask him how he felt about receiving the award.

"It's mind-blowing ..." he said. "From what I've read about it, it's a pretty prestigious award, and I'm real happy that I was able to get it."

Wittum said he is grateful to the members of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, who select the recipients of the Carnegie Award, and to all the witnesses of his heroic action who were interviewed by the commission during the selection process.

A junior at West Rowan High School, Wittum was swimming in the South Yadkin River at Riverpark in Cooleemee (formerly known as the Bullhole) on May 30, 2009, when he saved 15-year-old Marlo Porfirio Ramos from drowning.

Susan Beard, a guidance counselor at West, recalled the day Wittum came in her office and told her about the rescue. "He's the most unassuming young man you would ever want to know," she said. "He just said quietly, 'I had this experience over the weekend,' and as he told me more about it, I'm like 'What?!'

"He was talking about it, and I'm going, 'You jumped in the river?!' I was just in awe of what he had done."

When Wittum told Beard about the Carnegie Medal on Wednesday morning, she said, "It was the same kind of thing. I'm like 'Wow!' "

"It's wonderful for him," Beard said. "He's very serious, but every once in a while when I'm going, 'Wow,' he kind of grins. It's neat when he does that."

Beard described Eli Wittum as "very soft-spoken, very dependable, very responsible, the kind of a young man who does what he's supposed to do."

"He's everything you could expect in a student and way beyond," she said. "He's one of those kids, you don't know he has it in him. He's an Eagle Scout, and he's done all kinds of wonderful things already."

Wittum is the 9,338th person to receive the award since the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission was established by industrialist/philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1904. Throughout the 106 years since the fund was established, more than $32 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits and continuing assistance to those earning the award or their next-of-kin.

Walter Rutkowski, executive director of the commission, said the medal is a big deal for the people recognized "because it's a big deal what they did. They risked their lives for another individual, and they didn't have to do it ...

"Since they offered to give everything for their fellow man, we would like the award to be a prestigious one to reflect that."

Rutkowski said 20 percent of those who earn the award died performing the heroic actions recognized by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.

The South Yadkin River was flooded when Eli Wittum rescued Marlo Ramos, with rapids similar to ocean waves crashing and the water thick with mud. The undertow had pulled Ramos more than 100 yards before Wittum rushed into the middle of the river to help him.

When Wittum reached the teen, Ramos frantically grasped him around the neck. After Wittum freed himself, Ramos sank under the water and didn't surface for more than 10 seconds.

Wittum dived underwater and pulled Ramos above the surface, and the two teens floated another 200 feet down the river. Wittum was able to swim close enough to the edge to grab a low hanging tree limb, and some local fishermen helped him get Ramos up on the bank, where he was going in and out of consciousness. After checking Ramos' pulse and breathing, Wittum called 911 on a cell phone.

An ambulance transported Ramos to the hospital. He was able to return to Davie High School the following week.

Cyndi Allison Wittum, after hearing about Eli receiving the Carnegie Medal, posted the following message on her Facebook page: "Proud Momma moment."

When interviewed by telephone Wednesday evening, she said, "He was my hero before he got any award," she said. "I am thrilled that he has been honored. Usually, if you see a teenager on the news ... it's bad stuff. We don't often see the good things that kids do, and I think a lot of kids do a lot of great stuff, but it may not be at the same level as saving a life."

In January, Eli Wittum received the Boy Scout Medal of Honor with Cross Palms, the highest award for bravery presented by the Boy Scouts of America for his heroic actions in saving Ramos. He was presented the award at the annual Friends of Scouting meeting held Jan. 14 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The medal is rarely awarded, and only a few more than 200 Scouts nationally have received it. The crossed palms signify saving a life at great risk to one's own.

Wittum was the second runner-up in the high school division of the annual Service Above Self Awards held last December in Rowan County. He was nominated by Susan Beard, his guidance counselor at West.

After graduating next year, Wittum said he hopes to go to East Carolina University or the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and study to become a physician or physician's assistant.

Contact Kathy Chaffin at 704-797-4249.