Former HoCo Lifeguard Saves Georgia Woman From Drowning

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — A former Ellicott City lifeguard put his lifesaving skills to use recently when he saved a woman who was drowning in the Chattahoochee River in Georgia.

Ryan Smith worked as a lifeguard at North St. Johns Swim and Tennis Club and graduated from Mt. Hebron High School, then from College Park. He served as a police officer in Montgomery County before joining the Marietta Police Force.

Saving lives comes naturally to the 25-year-old who didn't think twice about diving into the water to help the woman.

“I was out with my girlfriend Hannah Roberts and her mom at the Canoe Restaurant. That’s when we notice a woman in a raft struggling in the water," Smith told WMAR. “When I reached the woman, she was blue and purple."

The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment and was expected to recover.