An off-duty medic and firefighter in Texas is finding himself in the national spotlight after risking his life to free a small child and reviving two others from a capsized boat on July 4, 2026, before ultimately getting them to first responders. The firefighter was recently reunited with the children he saved and their families following his amazing act of heroism.
In a Facebook post crafted by the City of Alvarado Fire Department, the story of the reunion, hosted by the department, saw Jason Horne of the Midlothian Fire Department and his daughter Emilie, along with the responding crew, getting to meet with the victims and their loved ones. Chief John Rodgers of the Alvarado Fire Department wrote about the rescue.
“I have been working water emergencies my whole 30 year career and they very rarely have this type of positive outcome,” Rodgers said. At the time of the incident, Horne was off-duty enjoying the day at Lake Alvarado when a boat with nine passengers capsized and trapped the three children. Horne, along with his daughter Emilie, were flagged down by a group of individuals and immediately leapt into action.
According to a report from WFAA, he rescued all three kids and revived two of them after pulling them from the capsized boat. “There is no doubt, we have 3 young children alive and well today because of the quick and decisive actions of Jason and Emilie Horne,” Rodgers went on to say in the Facebook post. “We are proud to have shared this moment.”
A post by Matt Van Swol, a popular account on social media platform X, said that when Horne dove into the water, he went under the boat where he found a little boy and rescued him. He then dove back under the boat and felt a child’s foot. It was a little girl. Horne wasted no time tearing her loose and bringing her up to the surface.
He checked on the little girl and found that she did not have a pulse. He pulled her on top of the capsized boat and performed CPR until she started breathing again. The firefighter and several other individuals flipped the capsized boat right-side-up. They found a little boy with anchor rope wrapped around his body. He also did not have a pulse.
Horne’s own department gave him high praise, saying, “When others needed help most, Jason did what firefighters do. He stepped up without hesitation.” The X post also noted that Horne’s 12-year-old daughter watched her dad risk his life to save others, noting that she will forever have an example of what it looks like to be a real-life hero.
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One user commented on the post, “What an incredible demonstration of God putting the right man in the right place at the right time. Providential and heroic.” Another said, “There’s a man who should never have to pay for a drink for the rest of his life.” A third went on to say, “Wow!!! What an absolute hero! God bless him.”
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video