Four people were thrown into the Yellowstone River on July 5 after a paddle board and raft struck a bridge. Fourteen-year-old Jory Thomas ran to the river with a rodeo lariat, landed the loop on the first attempt and pulled a struggling man to shore before emergency crews arrived. Authorities called the act heroic and the county sheriff’s office awarded Thomas a certificate of achievement. The CDC warns that drowning remains a major safety risk and recommends swimming instruction, CPR training and life jackets.
14-Year-Old Montana Teen Uses Rodeo Lariat to Pull Drowning Man from Yellowstone River
Montana teen uses rodeo lasso to save man drowning in Yellowstone River
On July 5, 14-year-old Jory Thomas helped save a man from drowning in the Yellowstone River by throwing a rodeo lariat and pulling him to shore.
Thomas was camping with his family near Greycliff, close to the Wyoming border, when he heard cries for help from the river. A paddle board and a raft had struck a bridge, tossing four people into the current. Three swimmers made it to shore, but one man remained clinging to a cooler as he swept downstream.
A Montana teenager used a rodeo lasso to help save a man drowning in the Yellowstone River last month (Sweet Grass County Sheriff's Office)
With his father calling 911, Thomas grabbed a lariat and ran to the water. Chest-deep in the river, he spun the rope overhead and — on his first try — landed the loop around the struggling man and hauled him in. Authorities said they arrived roughly 10 minutes later and credited Thomas with saving the man’s life.
Sweet Grass County Sheriff Alan Ronneberg later called the rescue “heroic” and the sheriff’s office presented Thomas with a certificate of achievement in late July. The office’s social media post drew thousands of likes and wide community praise.
The rescue occurred on July 5 near the Pelican Fishing Access site on the Yellowstone River, officials said. Pictured: a view from the Greycliff Bridge, located a few hundred feet from the site (Google Maps)
Thomas, who lives on a ranch in Big Timber, Montana, had been practicing roping more often this year — at brandings and with a roping dummy. “I really didn’t think I could actually use it and help humans and stuff,” he told The Washington Post, explaining he expected roping skills to be useful mainly for ranch life.
The incident occurred near the Pelican Fishing Access site, a short distance from the Greycliff Bridge. The Yellowstone River flows more than 600 miles across the American West.
Public-safety reminder: According to the CDC, more than 4,000 people in the U.S. die from drowning each year, and drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5–14. The agency recommends learning basic swimming and CPR skills, wearing life jackets, and avoiding alcohol while on or near the water.
“We all heard, ‘Help, help,’” Thomas told KTVQ. “There’s two or three people floating down the river, one hanging on to the cooler, and he wasn’t saying anything.”
Help us improve.
