Boy, 8, credited with pulling friend from canal

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Malachi Jenkins, 8, plays basketball with his friends Wednesday evening, just a day after he put his life on the line for his schoolmate.  “I took off my shirt, my shoes, and my socks, I jumped in the water, by the time I got in the water he was under the water,” Jenkins said.

Investigators say his friend, Shamore Franklin, 8, got through a fence and was walking over a pipe when he fell into a canal Tuesday evening.  Malachi knew he had to do something to help and ran to the rescue, pulling the victim out of the water.  “I twisted him around, grabbed his hand, then brought him to shore. I asked his brother to help me; help me pull him up,” Jenkins said.

”I really feel like God placed him there to be a help,” said Malachi’s grandmother.

According to the report, Malachi and the victim’s brother did CPR on Shamore until emergency crews arrive. Shamore’s father is just holding onto hope for his son who remains in critical condition.  “I want my son to come home. He's in the hospital. He got tubes in his head; tubes running through his stomach,” said Shamore’s father.

The courageous third grader is grateful he got to help his friend, but still worries about his condition. “I’m a little bit sad, but happy at the same time,” Jenkins said.

Orange County Public Works crews spent the day patching up the holes in the fence around the canal.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MORE COVERAGE:

8-year-old critical after being pulled from canal behind elementary school

Child critical after falling into canal on walk home from school