When a boating accident sent four people into the treacherous waters of Montana’s Yellowstone River, one man found himself fighting for his life, clinging to a cooler as the swift current carried him downstream. What happened next would demonstrate how preparation and quick thinking can mean the difference between life and death.
Jory Thomas, a 14-year-old ranch kid, was camping with his family near Greycliff, Montana on July 5 when disaster struck. A raft and paddleboard collided with a bridge pillar on the Yellowstone River, throwing four people into the rushing water. While three managed to reach the shore safely, one man remained trapped in the current, desperately holding onto a cooler.
Quick action and rodeo skills combine for dramatic rescue
The teenage cowboy immediately responded to the urgent cries for help. “Only thing I could focus on was helping him get out of the water because I didn’t want to see anyone go in front of me,” Jory explained. He emptied his pockets, waded through waist-deep water in a channel, and sprinted along the riverbank to position himself ahead of the struggling man.
In what can only be described as a fortunate coincidence, Jory had brought along his 12-foot rodeo lariat that day—something he had never done on previous camping trips, according to his grandmother Sandy Thomas. The teenager had been dedicating his evenings to practicing his roping skills on a dummy, preparing to handle cattle at local brandings.
When he reached an advantageous position on the shore, Jory made his move. “First instinct I thought was try and rope him and drag him out before he gets too far down the river,” he said. “Luckily, I caught him first try.” The young cowboy then pulled the man to safety through chest-deep water, maintaining control until first responders could take over.
Family tradition of service
Jory’s instinct to help others comes naturally, as his father and brothers serve on the local fire department. His grandmother noted, “His first instinct always is to help other people.”
The teenager attributed his successful rescue to divine intervention. “God was basically putting me in the place of all this. God was just telling me all of this at the time and saying, ‘Go get him, you got it, and I believe in you,'” Jory said.
The dramatic rescue serves as a reminder of how seemingly routine skills and preparation can prove invaluable in unexpected situations. What began as practice sessions for ranch work became the training that saved a life in Montana’s fast-moving Yellowstone River.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10
