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Friday, November 13, 2026Nov 13

Man fractures neck in diving accident; young son saves him

Asaih Williams, 9, is shown on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020 in Pensacola, Fla. Asaih saved his father's life during a recent visit to Quietwater Beach. Asaih kept his father, Joshua Williams, afloat and pulled him back to shore after he dove from the dock into the shallow water and fractured his neck. (Gregg Pachkowski/Pensacola News Journal via AP)
Asaih Williams, 9, is shown on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020 in Pensacola, Fla. Asaih saved his father's life during a recent visit to Quietwater Beach. Asaih kept his father, Joshua Williams, afloat and pulled him back to shore after he dove from the dock into the shallow water and fractured his neck. (Gregg Pachkowski/Pensacola News Journal via AP) Asaih Williams, 9, is shown on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020 in Pensacola, Fla. Asaih saved his father's life during a recent visit to Quietwater Beach. Asaih kept his father, Joshua Williams, afloat and pulled him back to shore after he dove from the dock into the shallow water and fractured his neck. (Gregg Pachkowski/Pensacola News Journal via AP)

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) – A 9-year-old Florida boy is being hailed a hero for pulling his father from the water after the man fractured his neck in a diving accident.

Young Asaih Williams said he always plays a game in his head when he’s diving with someone. If the other person doesn’t emerge from the water in a set amount of time, then the boy goes in after him.

He’s never had any formal swimming or lifeguard training. It’s just something he does. It ended up saving his dad’s life over the weekend.

The family of five was at Quietwater Beach on Saturday enjoying a day outdoors. Shortly after sunset, the boy convinced his dad Josh to take one last jump from a dock into the Santa Rosa Sound, which turned out to be much more shallow than expected.

“All I remember was that he said he broke his neck and he said he was scared,” Asaih told the Pensacola News Journal.