Friend of drowning victim: 'I salute you. You are a Brunswick hero'

Two good Samaritans are being remembered for sacrificing themselves to save a drowning toddler at St. Simons Island.

According to Glynn County, Georgia, police, Aleisha Rankin, 34, of Jesup, and Gregory Grant, 39, of Brunswick, drowned off St. Simons Island Sunday.

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Jason Blake has known Grant - who the community called Scoop since their high school football days.

“It has been very shocking, for one,” Blake said.  “But, I must say it wasn’t surprising when it was him who was the hero, because that’s the type of person Scoop was.”

The search unfolded near Massengale Park Sunday evening.

Police said Rankin and a toddler were struggling to make it back to shore.

That’s when they say Grant jumped in to help.

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Officers said Rankin made it back to shore but died at the hospital.

But they said Grant never came back up.

Rankin was a mother of four.  Grant, a father of two.

“Scoop, I love you, man,” Blake said.  “We’re going to miss you, and I salute you.  You are a Brunswick hero, man.  See you when we get there.”

Cox Media Group