College Student Saves Three Girls From Drowning After Spotting Them Struggling in Lake Washington

August 11, 2026

A college student saved three girls from drowning after spotting them struggling to stay afloat in Lake Washington during Seattle's Seafair celebration.

Lillie Vehling / KOMO News

Lillie Vehling was sitting at Genesee Park, waiting to watch the U.S. Navy Blue Angels air show, when she noticed three girls in the water near a buoy lane.

Something about the scene immediately told her they were in serious trouble.

"There were three girls who were out pretty far by the buoy lane that they had set up, and they did not look very good," Vehling said. "They were already bobbing up and down trying to get breaths, and one of the girls was actually drowning the others in order to breathe, and that's when I knew I had to jump in."

Vehling, a skilled water polo player at UC Davis, had completed certified lifeguard training and even started her own swim lessons program.

She knew the girls needed help immediately.

Vehling ran into the water and began pulling the girls toward safety, starting with the one who was struggling the most.

"I first grabbed the girl that was drowning the other two to get her out of the environment so that the other two weren't even in worse shape, and I removed them one by one," she explained. "The first girl, again, I don't really remember how I did it but, got her back to the shallow water."

Vehling then went back for the other two girls.

By the time she reached the third girl, she was unconscious, barely floating and tangled in the rope of a small buoy.

Once all three girls were brought to shore, people called 911 and Seattle Fire Department paramedics arrived to provide medical care. One of the girls was transported to Seattle Children's Hospital in stable condition.

What started as an afternoon watching the Blue Angels turned into a lifesaving rescue that Vehling never expected.

Seafair President and CEO Emily Cantrell soon learned what had happened and went looking for the young woman who had saved the girls.

Cantrell invited Vehling to the Seafair gala that evening, where she received a memorable new title.

"We knighted her as 'Lady Guardian of Lake Washington,'" Cantrell said. "It was incredible having her at the right place at the right time. What she did was extraordinary."

Photo credit: Emily Cantrell, Seafair

But Vehling wasn't looking for recognition.

She saw three girls in danger, and she acted.

"To save three people, I didn't think twice about myself," she said. "I'm just glad everyone's safe."

And thanks to one college student's quick thinking and willingness to jump into action, three girls made it safely back to shore.