Ohio High School Football Players Save Teammate from Drowning with CPR Heroics

Black River athletes Trenton Delesky and Zane Bungard sprang into action to rescue teammate Chase Gallagher, whose life was hanging by a thread after a pond accident

Thanks to quick action by two of his teammates and emergency personnel, Black River football player Chase Gallagher survived a near drowning incident earlier this month. / CAMILLE SARABIA / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Quick Thinking on the Field—and in the Water

According to a report by the Medina Gazette, the rapid response of two teammates, saved the life of 17-year-old Chase Gallagher, a football player at Black River High School in Spencer Township, Ohio, earlier this month. Gallagher is alive and recovering after a near-drowning incident on June 12.

What started as a casual team bonding day during summer practice ended with a life-threatening emergency—and a stunning act of courage by Gallagher’s teammates Trenton Delesky and Zane Bungard.

Moment of Crisis at the Pond

During a post-practice gathering at a teammate’s pond, Gallagher jumped in to swim toward a paddleboat carrying his friends. But as the boat drifted farther away, Gallagher began to struggle.

According to the report, Delesky saw Gallagher in distress and rushed to help, but both boys slipped underwater. That’s when Bungard dove in, locating Gallagher at the bottom of the pond. Together, the two teens pulled him to shore.

CPR Training Put to Life-Saving Use

Once on land, Bungard began CPR—training he had received years earlier in middle school. When he tired, Delesky took over. Coaches soon arrived, rotating in with chest compressions until Gallagher was breathing again, just 10 minutes after the 911 call.

“It all just came to me,” Bungard told the paper. “I needed to get him breathing again.”

Ambulance Ride, Apologies—and Gratitude

Coach Kyle Clark rode in the ambulance with Gallagher, who regained consciousness en route. His first words?

“‘I’m sorry, coach,’” Clark recalled.

Gallagher was treated at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, released two days later, and is now recovering at home. During his hospital stay, he requested Bungard’s number to personally thank him.

Aftermath and Response from the Team

Clark held a team and parent meeting to process the emotional event. During that meeting, the idea emerged to bring CPR training to the full team—a plan now actively in motion.

Gallagher returned to practice within days, welcomed by supportive teammates.

“Just looking back and seeing how everything played out exactly the way that it had to in order to save Chase's life,” Clark said. “It's pretty special.”