Two Carmel Teenagers Pull a Grandmother and Two Small Children From a Retention Pond

CARMEL, Ind. - Two teenage brothers who had gone fishing on the first morning of their fall break pulled a grandmother and her two young grandchildren from a neighborhood retention pond here last week, and the youngest child, a 2-year-old, began breathing again after one of the boys used back slaps to help him cough up water, according to city officials. Maddox Larger, 15, a freshman at Carmel High School, and his brother Grant Larger, 14, an eighth grader at Clay Middle School, have since been honored by state lawmakers, and Mayor Sue Finkam and the Carmel City Council plan to recognize them at the council's Nov. 16 meeting.

The Carmel Fire Department and Carmel Police Department were dispatched at about 11:15 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, to reports of two children submerged in water in the 13800 block of Fernleaf Way, near Hazel Dell Parkway and East Main Street, according to a city news release quoted by local broadcasters. The children's grandmother had been pushing a stroller carrying the 2-year-old, with a 4-year-old strapped to her back, when the stroller became partially submerged in the pond and she began struggling in the water, officials said. Neither the grandmother nor the 4-year-old knew how to swim.

The brothers, who had been fishing about 20 feet away, told Current in Carmel that they saw the stroller roll down a slope and into the water. Maddox, a competitive swimmer with the Carmel Swim Club, went in, and the two boys together helped the grandmother and the 4-year-old to shore, city officials said. Only then did they learn that the younger child was still in the stroller.

"After I got everyone out, I realized that there was a baby still in the stroller, so I unclasped it, picked him out, and then tilted him over so the water could help drain and pat him on the back a couple times," Maddox told WRTV. "Luckily, he coughed up water and could breathe again."

He told Current in Carmel that he had learned the technique in a seventh-grade CPR class at Clay Middle School. Grant stayed on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, and because the pond was difficult to reach, the brothers guided responders to it; one police officer, Maddox said, climbed through the woods and across a creek to reach them and carried the toddler to an ambulance.

"The immediate actions taken by Maddox and Grant demonstrated remarkable courage and quick thinking under pressure," Sgt. Matt Keinsley of the Carmel Police Department said in the city's statement. "Their heroic efforts made the difference between a tragedy and a miraculous outcome."

Tim Griffin, a firefighter and the Carmel Fire Department's public information officer, said, "We couldn't be prouder of Maddox and Grant. They remind us that you don't have to wear a uniform or a badge to be a hero. Sometimes being a hero simply means being there for someone when they need you most."

In its Oct. 16 newsletter, the city described the episode as "a powerful reminder of community, courage and safety" and credited the brothers' "quick thinking, calm demeanor and immediate response" with playing "a vital role in preventing a potential disaster." Mayor Finkam, the newsletter said, expressed gratitude to the boys and to the police and public safety teams who responded.

On Monday, State Rep. Danny Lopez, a Carmel Republican, presented each brother with a Distinguished Hoosier Award, Maddox at Carmel High School and Grant at Clay Middle School, according to the Indiana House Republican caucus. He was joined by State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn, a Democrat from Fishers.

"Carmel is fortunate to have young people like Maddox and Grant who put others first and stepped up when their neighbors needed help most," Mr. Lopez said. "Their courage and quick thinking helped save lives, and they exemplify the very best of our community."

Officials have not publicly identified the grandmother or the children. Some early news reports spelled the family's surname "Lager"; the City of Carmel and the Indiana House Republican caucus spell it Larger. The caucus release describes the boys as providing CPR; the city's account, and Maddox's own, describe back slaps.

For his part, Grant played down what the brothers had done. "I feel that anybody else would've done the same thing," he told Fox59.

Sources: City of Carmel newsletter, "A powerful reminder of community, courage and safety," Oct. 16, 2026, https://www.carmel.in.gov/CivicSend/ViewMessage/message/303463 ; Indiana House Republicans, "Lopez recognizes heroic Carmel teen brothers with Distinguished Hoosier Awards," Oct. 19, 2026, https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/news/press-releases/lopez-recognizes-heroic-carmel-teen-brothers-with-distinguished-hoosier-awards/ ; City of Carmel release as reported by WTHR, Oct. 14, 2026, https://www.wthr.com/article/life/heartwarming/brothers-rescue-2-year-old-4-year-old-grandmother-from-retention-pond-in-carmel-indiana/531-236fcfdc-ade1-4619-ad98-a94f1e4a3d96 , and WRTV, https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/quick-thinking-carmel-teens-save-grandmother-and-young-children-from-retention-pond/ ; Current in Carmel, Oct. 14, 2026, https://www.youarecurrent.com/2026/10/14/carmel-teens-rescue-3-from-retention-pond/ ; Fox59, https://fox59.com/news/carmel-brothers-help-to-save-grandmother-2-toddlers-from-retention-pond/ . Family and official photographs of the brothers are not used because they are not openly licensed; images are public domain or Creative Commons as noted and are illustrative.