Rochester Hero Nationally Recognized for Saving Boy's Life

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A Rochester hero who saved the life of a young boy who was drowning back in 2018 was just recognized on the national level.

It's not every day a local Rochester resident wins the Congressional Medal of Honor. Then again, it's not every day that a 13-year-old saves the life of another young boy. But that's exactly what Cody Runyon did three years ago here in Rochester.

According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, here's what Cody did to receive this amazingly deserving honor:

Cody Runyon is selected for his courageous act when he pulled an eleven-year-old fellow swimmer from the bottom of a pool after the younger boy had sunk and become unresponsive. Cody noticed the danger and reacted quickly, preventing further tragedy. The victim credits Cody and another bystander for saving his life.

ABC-6 News said that Cody is in Boston on Friday (September 10) to formally receive the Congressional Medal of Honor Young Hero Award in person, after being given the award in 2020. But Cody-- a hero in every sense of the word-- doesn't think he did anything all that courageous.

"I'm honored to get this award," he said in the ABC-6 story. "For me personally, I think I was something I was there at the right time. I appreciate it but I don't need all of this hype for it," he said in the story.

And, while this national award is certainly prestigious, it's not the only award for which Cody's life-saving act was noted. He was previously honored by the city of Rochester, as well as having been given the Citizen Life-Saving Award by the Rochester Police Department in 2019. Well done, Cody!

Cody should get some recognition for his selfless act, right? And while he enjoys his deserved time in the spotlight, he's not the only Minnesota citizen who's become well know. Keep scrolling to check out some of Minnesota's most famous residents.

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Citizen Honors - Cody Runyon, Young Hero Honoree from Medal of Honor Society on Vimeo.