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    Witnesses recount saving toddler, woman from Boone Lake

    By Clarice Scheele,

    13 days ago

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=41hxhj_0uxTG65Y00

    JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Neighbors and witnesses are grateful for how the situation ended after jumping into action to save a mother, Kalyna Young, and her toddler after Young allegedly drove into Boone Lake on Saturday.

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    Young has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and neglect, reckless endangerment, and open container by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Witnesses said video from a nearby building shows Young stopping twice on Oak Grove Road before turning her car toward a lake access and flooring her vehicle into the lake.

    Chris Patrick was on his way to a birthday party when he drove by the incident.

    “My wife said, ‘There’s a baby.’ And I just went numb, and jumped in the water to get the baby,” Patrick said.

    He jumped in after the toddler, even though he didn’t know how to swim.

    “That baby, I look at it, that’s the future,” said Patrick. “And then, the baby had spectators watching, and I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t let that baby sit right there and drown.”

    In video obtained by News Channel 11, Patrick swam toward the floating baby while people were on a dock across the cove. He expressed some frustration that he was the only person to go in to save the baby.

    After the toddler was checked by first responders, Patrick said he got a fist bump from the child and told his caretaker to reach out to him if they ever needed any help. The toddler is under the watch of a family member.

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    Brian Dollar said he got a call from his daughter swimming close to the scene and rushed down.

    “I just threw my keys and stuff out and just jumped in,” Dollar said.

    He injured his fist trying to punch through the glass of the sinking car’s windows to see if anyone else was trapped in the car.

    “I wasn’t getting the window open, so I had to get in somehow,” Dollar said. “So, I just tried to climb in the front and feel around the best I could. We made sure there was nobody else in the car.”

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2A7le4_0uxTG65Y00
    Left: Patrick swims after the toddler floating in lake. (Photo: Sherika Moreland). Right: People carry the toddler to first responders while the car is still in the water. (Photo: Tim Brown).

    Shawn Hilbert’s girlfriend alerted him there was a car in the water a few yards down. He rushed in and was able to get Young out of the water.

    “The lady was so frantic, all she was saying was ‘my baby, my baby, my baby, my baby,'” Hilbert said. “I was trying to console her and let her know that her baby was fine.”

    Hilbert is still decompressing days later after what he describes as “chaotic”.

    “It was an experience,” Hilbert said. “It was one I don’t want to repeat any time soon, especially if it turned out a different way. I’m very blessed and thankful that it turned out everybody was okay…because cars can be replaced.”

    All said Young smelled of alcohol. According to an affidavit, Young told the officer she had a “Steel” beverage. Officers found two containers in the car.

    Patrick, Dollar, and Hilbert know about the charges against Young and all have differing opinions. Patrick said the charges were justified and claimed she never tried to save her child. Dollar said it is up to the legal system to decide.

    Hilbert said he had seen a video showing Young taking her child out of the car and pushing the child away.

    “I just think that it was probably a lot on her, more than what she could handle and she thought the easy way out was, was that way,” Hilbert said. “But, maybe she’ll get help. She’ll get help. She’ll get better. She seems like she’d be resilient.”

    Young made her appearance in court Monday afternoon.

    Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

    For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.

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