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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAs the pontoon drew closer, they realized a small child was involved. Jess was the first pulled aboard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In speaking about the event today, Sullivan said, \u201cI was so glad I had a full crew that day because with their clothing being waterlogged, it took all of us to get them up onto the front of the boat. We peeled off some of our layers, covered them up, and tried to situate the\u00a0propane heater to warm them up as much as possible.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sullivan called emergency services, and Bill called his wife, Christy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI called 911 and got them to dispatch the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to the state park as that was the closest ramp. Luckily, they were there when we arrived to help get them the medical attention they needed.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
No one was seriously injured. When recalling the event, gratitude and a sense of divine intervention are as present today as they were 22 years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were there doing our job, but we were really put there by God that day for a reason,\u201d Sullivan acknowledged. \u201cI was the commercial foreman and traveled most of the time building marinas, so it was unusual that this particular crew was on Tims Ford that day.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bill agreed, \u201cIt was the Good Lord because they weren\u2019t supposed to be there.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bill\u2019s uncle, Bobby, lived several more years. That seat that popped up just in time to hold him above the 120-foot-deep lake waters? Bill said when they removed it from the car\u2019s trunk the next day, it had to weigh at least 100 pounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere was no reason it should have floated. It was waterlogged,\u201d Bill said, as amazed today as then. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, Sullivan is the Leading Edge Real Estate Group broker in Fayetteville and a father himself. The weight of saving young Jess on that cold December day in 2002 is more poignant than ever.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n He said, \u201cChildren are our most special gifts, and I’m glad we could help save this child. I hope if the roles are reversed one day, someone will be there to help my children.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, Jess only has a single memory to contribute when others talk about that day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe only thing I kind of remember is drinking hot chocolate at the hospital, and that\u2019s about it,\u201d he recently stated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n His mom, Christy, however, will never forget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter the accident, we held each other a little tighter and tried to never take anything for granted. We were a young family and didn\u2019t have a whole lot,\u201d she explained. \u201cThey are my whole world, along with my daughter, Cassie, who was 1 at the time, and I’m not sure what I would have done if I had lost them. I\u2019m so thankful that the Lord saw them through.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sullivan\u2019s heart of service continues today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He said, \u201cHelping people is what fuels me, whether at work with my clients and the agents in my office or at home. I love Fayetteville because of the community feel here, and it seems we all help each other out.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether it\u2019s a helping hand out of frigid waters, into a new home, or changing a diaper, Sullivan pours his heart into everything he does. When we do the same, a spirit of empathy pilots the boats of our lives straight into the paths of those who need us most. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Caring spirits encased in hearts of gold unite us. We draw strength from one another, our good deeds prompting others to pay it forward, making our lives and the places we live richer for it. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BILL SMITH broke the surface of Tims Ford Lake, his uncle, Bobby Smith, in one numb hand, and his 3-year-old son, Jess, clutched desperately in the other. The 48-degree water bit into their skin through their soaked layers of clothing, dragging them down despite their life vests. As Bill\u2019s head went under once more, he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":23792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/fayetteville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/DSC01747-1024x683.jpg\")
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