Woodstock Man Receives Award For Saving Fisherman In Fatal Boat Crash

WOODSTOCK, GA -- A Woodstock resident was commended last week for his ability to save a fisherman in a deadly two-boat collision earlier this year on Allatoona Lake near Canton. Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Fire Chief Tim Prather presented Izza Davila with the agency's Citizen Life Saving Award during the May 2 County Commission meeting.

Davila launched his boat Feb. 2 at Victoria Landing for an afternoon of fishing on the lake. However, his plans for the afternoon changed drastically when he noticed a boat driving in circles and realized no one was on board.

"As he moved closer, he noticed another boat had been capsized," Cherokee County fire said.

At that point, Davila realized there had been a collision, and he tried to call 911. Unable to get through, Davila phoned his wife, Judy, and asked if she could call emergency crews.

Davila searched the area for 15 minutes and decided to tow the capsized boat to the shoreline. As he was moving around the boat, he heard a voice calling for help, but he couldn’t see anyone. As he went around to the end of the boat, he saw a man with only his face visible and holding on to the capsized boat begging for help and saying he "couldn’t hold on any longer."

Davila realized that he was not able to pull the man out of the water, so he provided the man his flotation device and tied it to the man to keep him up and out of the water. The good Samaritan then tied him to the boat, and pulled the man to the shoreline. Another boater volunteered to take the man back to Little River Marina for medical treatment.

The Cherokee County 911 Center finally contacted Davila, who provided directions to the location of the boating accident. Unfortunately, two boaters -- Ronnie Bentley and James Mills -- did not survive the crash.

The water temperature was roughly 55 degrees, which is extremely dangerous for human survival if exposed for even short periods of time.

Chief Prather told the commissioners and those in the audience that this was the first Citizen Life Saving Award he's presented during his tenure.

"He saved a life (on) that cold day in February on Lake Allatoona," Prather said. "For this, I think it is only appropriate that Mr. Davila should be recognized for his heroic efforts.”

Photos: Cherokee Fire Chief Tim Prather, left, present the Citizen Life Saving Award to Izzy Davila as his wife, Judy, and Assistant Fire Chief Eddie Robinson look on. Credit: Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services