Fisherman brings calm to crisis, saves injured woman stranded on shore at Lake Lanier
By Kaitlyn Ross
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BUFORD, Georgia (WXIA) — What started as a peaceful day on Lake Lanier turned into a rescue that’s now getting national recognition.
For Marvin Winston, the water has always been a place to slow down.
“Anything or anywhere on the water for me is just calming, soothing,” he said. “I’ve always viewed fishing as my sort of therapy.”
He’s spent years building that routine, launching from spots like Clarks Bridge Boat Ramp, cameras rolling as he shares his time on the lake with others.
“I like recording any catches I come across,” Winston said. “For some people who can’t go out and fish, they catch fish through my videos.”
But on Feb. 19, that sense of calm shifted before he even cast a line.
“I am going out, and before I even start fishing, I hear what sounds like a faint call for help,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if it was a human, animal, or something, but I knew I had to check it out.”
What started as uncertainty quickly became urgency.
“This feeling overcame me that I couldn’t fish; I had to figure this out before I could continue on,” he said.
As he moved closer to shore, he realized what he was hearing.
“As I got closer to shore, I could actually see what looked like a person lying down,” Winston said. “I went to shore, got out of my kayak, and I was calling, hello, hello? And I could hear a woman who was crying.”
The woman was hurt, struggling to breathe, and alone.
Winston didn’t hesitate.
“It was just instinct,” he said. “To hear someone calling out for help the way this woman was in distress, something had to be done.”
He stayed with her, called 911, helped direct first responders, and did everything he could to keep her calm.
“I did my best to comfort her, to figure out what was going on with her, to help her as best I could until we got on scene,” he said. “I jumped into action, took action, and just stayed with her until professionals got on scene.”
That steady presence made all the difference.
“What Marvin did is exceptional,” said Flotilla Commander Richard Adams with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary on Lake Lanier. “He was able to redirect a 911 operator to get first responders on the scene.”
Adams says it’s the kind of response they don’t see often.
“So often now, people look the other way, and they don’t go out of their way to try to help people in distress,” he said. “It’s rare because people don’t usually do this type of thing. Oftentimes, we are lucky if people even call first responders.”
Because of his actions, Winston was given a Coast Guard commendation, an honor Adams says is not handed out lightly.
“It’s rare for the Coast Guard to give such honors because it’s rare for people to do what Marvin did,” he said. “We are grateful for Marvin, and we wish there were more Marvins out there.”
For Winston, the recognition is meaningful, but not the reason he stepped in.
“I just think, in my heart, it’s something that any good-natured human would’ve done,” he said.
He hopes the moment serves as a reminder.
“In a world where it feels like humanity is lacking, hopefully this shows that there are good people in this world,” Winston said. “We just need to act.”
He says in that moment, nothing else mattered.
“None of us knew each other, but we came together,” he said. “It’s what we all should be doing.”
The woman was treated and released from the hospital.
And for Winston, a day that started with the promise of peace ended with something even more powerful–being there when someone needed it most.
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