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Local hero who saved woman after boat crash meets her at hospital

Posted at 8:22 PM, Aug 08, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-09 05:57:26-04

TAMPA — Jay Young was so appreciative after getting a call from a mother this morning, asking him to meet at a hospital.

"It was very emotional for me," said Young.

"She said 'you saved my daughters life. I'd love to meet you,' he said."

Young saved 22-year-old old Brittany Mundie after a boat crash in a vessel driven by her friend Keith Rohde.

Boat crash near Davis Islands kills 1, seriously injures another

A picture of Mundie in the hospital clearly shows she is in a lot of pain. She suffered fractures in her neck and countless stitches but she's alive and speaking.

"I reached out and she did with her hand and she said thank you so so so much," said Young.

She thanked him for saving her life after her hair got caught in the boat's propeller Sunday.

"The last time I saw her I did not hold out a huge amount of hope," said Young.

Young also tried to save Keith, but couldn't find him in the water. Divers eventually recovered his body.
The hero is haunted by the young man's death, but knowing Mundie will make it eases some pain.

"Hearing her voice and seeing that she was awake and alive; that closure is what I needed," said Young.

Young is recovering too from stitches and abrasions. But a parent himself, he says he'd do it again in a heartbeat.

"My daughter is very close to her age, and their birthdays are one day apart. I saw a lot of my daughter in this girl," said Young.