John Clark's instincts as a newly certified (albeit off-duty) lifeguard kicked in while visiting Rockaway Beach, Ore., last month - and it cost him $2,600.
Upon hearing screams for help from a 12-year-old boy named Robert flailing in the Pacific Ocean, the 17-year-old from Vancouver, Wash., dove into the choppy breakers and helped keep the boy afloat until help arrived. Both were eventually rescued by personal watercraft and transported by ambulance to Tillamook County (Ore.) General Hospital.
The Columbian of Vancouver reported Friday that Clark declined x-rays on his lungs despite swallowing a lot of saltwater, and he said he never signed any paperwork. A few weeks later, the Clark family received a bill from the hospital for almost $2,600 - $450 for the emergency room, $230 for the doctor's fee and more than $1,900 for the ambulance. "I thought getting into the ambulance was standard procedure," Clark, who at the time was five days removed from receiving his certification for lifeguarding at the Firstenburg Community Center Pool and the Marshall Community Center in Vancouver, told reporter Patty Hastings. "I figured I was just going along for the ride. I was fine by that point."
Two anonymous donors quickly stepped forward this week after Clark's story on KOIN-TV's website went viral and offered to pay his hospital bill in full. The station reports that Clark also has received "countless offers" to help with the tab from people in states as far away as Arizona, Wisconsin and Florida. "People like that need to be rewarded when they do something like that," Philip Doyle said, calling the station Thursday from Florida. "This was a total, selfless thought. A lot of other people would have walked away, but he did what any sensible person would do in this situation: He guarded someone's life. I am totally moved by this story."
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Robert suffered hypothermia, and Clark's father, Dan, told The Columbian that any additional donations received for John's medical bills will be donated to the boy's medical expenses.
