Heroic groom interrupts his wedding photos to save a drowning boy

Wedding photoshoots can be unpredictable—rain, drunken bridesmaids and crying flower girls all come to mind. But one Canadian couple’s pictures took an unexpected and heroic turn when the groom jumped into a river to save a young boy from drowning.

Newlyweds Clayton and Brittany Cook had just finished their ceremony at a park in Cambridge, Ontario, when they began taking pictures. The bride stopped to pose for a few solo shots, and that’s when the groom spotted a little boy struggling in a nearby waterway.

According to their photographer Darren Hatt’s Facebook page, Clayton jumped in without hesitation.

“While I was taking solo pictures of the bride this little guy was pushed into the river behind me by another child,” the photographer posted of the event. “By the time the bride noticed and shouted out, Clayton had already jumped down and brought him to safety.”

The stunning photos of Clayton’s quick thinking have made their rounds on social media. In just a few short days Hatt’s images have gone viral with nearly two thousand shares.

Earlier this week the couple spoke with the BBC about the dramatic event.

“For several minutes the kids were following us, and I was keeping a close eye on them because they were standing close to the water,” Clayton said of the rescue.

He quickly realized only two kids—there had been three—were standing on the rock ledge by the pond. That’s when he saw the boy in the water struggling to keep his head up.

“I was able jump down the rock ledge, and was just able to reach his hand,” Clayton said of pulling the boy to safety.

As for the bride, she told the BBC she was initially confused.

“I originally thought he had jumped in as a joke or something, and I thought what are you doing?”

Upon seeing the little boy it all became clear, and told CTV she wasn’t surprised her man had jumped to action.

“That’s Clay to me. It doesn’t even surprise me that that happened. That’s something he would instinctively do.”

Well, that’s definitely one way to make a splash on your wedding day. Way to go Clayton!