A car with three young women inside fell into the river around 2:30am on the Fourth of July weekend.
Fortunately, the 16-year-old was in the right place at the right time. The vehicle drove off the slope, plunged into the water, then swam about 20 feet from the shore and sank.
It was then that Corion Evans jumped up in the water. He could hear the cry for help.
He’s been swimming since he was three, so he realized he can help. He didn’t even hesitate.
Said Corion: “They went straight under the water. It was like only a small part of the car was still above water.”
Together with his friends and teammates from the Pascagoula High School football team, Karon “KJ” and Caleb Bradley, they took off their shirts and shoes and jumped into the river.
By this time the car was almost completely under and none of the car doors were as yet opened by the occupants.
“I was just like, ‘I can’t let none of these folks die. They need to get out the water. So, I just started getting them. I wasn’t even thinking about nothing else. I was behind them, trying to keep them above water and swim with them at the same time.”
They had opened the doors and got them out and back to shore without getting caught up in the car or the underwater branches.
Maybe this would be a good time to mention that that stretch of the Pascagoula River is home to an estimated 13,000 alligators.
Which they were all well aware of.
As they were returning to shore, there was splashing beyond the car.
Moss Point Police Officer Gray Mercer had jumped in the water with his full gear on, dove to help the girls, got caught up to hinder his getting air… and began to drown.
“I turned around, I see the police officer. He’s drowning. He’s going underwater, drowning saying ‘Help.’
So I went over there. I went and I grabbed the police officer and I’m like swimming him back until I feel I can walk.
My legs were so tired after. Anything could’ve been in that water, though. But I wasn’t thinking about it.”
When everyone was back on shore, the three occupants and Officer Mercer began throwing up the water they had breathed in.
On Wednesday, one of three occupants, 19-year-old Cora Watson, returned to the river.
Mississippi teenager Corion Evans, a 16- year- old who hails from Pascagoula, learned to swim when he was but three.
Which is a good thing.
On Sunday over the Fourth of July weekend, in the wee morning hours of 2:30am, Corion and some friends were in Moss Point…. a small city in Jackson County 30 miles east of Biloxi near Alabama.
They were enjoying themselves on the shore of the Pascagoula River, when they saw the headlights of a car in the pitch black night.
Inside the car were three young women who were lost, and were following the directions on their GPS, which had them drive off Interstate-10 and up a dark road which ended at a boat launch ramp.
And they drove straight into the river.
About twenty feet from shore, the car started to sink.
Said Corion, “They drove straight under the water. Like only a little bit of the car was still above the water.”
Along with his friends and teammates on the Pascagoula High school football team Karon ‘KJ’ and Caleb Bradley, they took off their shirts and shoes and jumped into the river.
By this time the car was almost completely under and none of the car doors were as yet opened by the occupants.
“I was just like, ‘I can’t let none of these folks die. They need to get out the water. So, I just started getting them. I wasn’t even thinking about nothing else. I was behind them, trying to keep them above water and swim with them at the same time.”
They had opened the doors and got them out and back to shore without getting caught up in the car or the underwater branches.
Maybe this would be a good time to mention that that stretch of the Pascagoula River is home to an estimated 13,000 alligators.
Which they were all well aware of.
As they were returning to shore, there was splashing beyond the car.
Moss Point Police Officer Gray Mercer had jumped in the water with his full gear on, dove to help the girls, got caught up to hinder his getting air… and began to drown.
“I turned around, I see the police officer. He’s drowning. He’s going underwater, drowning saying ‘Help.’
So I went over there. I went and I grabbed the police officer and I’m like swimming him back until I feel I can walk.
My legs were so tired after. Anything could’ve been in that water, though. But I wasn’t thinking about it.”
When everyone was back on shore, the three occupants and Officer Mercer began throwing up the water they had breathed in.
On Wednesday, one of three occupants, 19-year-old Cora Watson, returned to the river.
She was in the back seat at the time.
“It’s no lights down here or nothing, so everything was just pitch black. The GPS thought we was on top of the interstate. That’s why it was telling us to go straight, because it did not say it was water here or nothing.
I automatically went straight down, I can’t swim.”
Her friends had made it out and were back on shore, “But it’s like, I’m the only one, I was the only one, like left in the water.”
‘If I inhale one more bit of water, I’m going to die. Like I just knew I was. I knew my last breath was coming. And so I just let my phone down. My mind already said, like, ‘you’re slowly losing yourself.’
When I tell you, right before my last dying breath underwater, that was gonna be my last time going underwater, Corion had grabbed me.”
On Tuesday, Mayor Billy Knight recognized him and Officer Mercer for bravery, and presented both of them with certificates of commendation.
Moss Point Chief Brandon Ashley said, “The police department and I commend Mr Evans’ bravery and selflessness he displayed by risking his own safety to help people in danger.
If Mr Evans had not assisted, it could have possibly turned out tragically, instead of all occupants rescued safely.”
Like many people across the country, it would prove to be financially difficult for Corion to attend college after senior year.
So, a Miss Ashley DeFlanders felt inspired to raise funds for Corion’s education after reading about his bravery to help others.
“I’ve set up this gofundme to help Corion go to college. His heroic actions saved four lives during the 4th of July weekend. Let’s reward this high school senior’s bravery and selflessness by helping him get to college in August 2023!”
As of this posting, they have received over $57k on their $75k goal.
If you feel so inclined, you know what to do.
The cherry on the cake?
Was at the night of the award ceremony, the wife and child of Officer Mercer thanked Corion for saving their daddy and husband, and hugged him.
And that he will forever be part of the family.
