Man, 24, surprises Ohio cop who saved him from drowning nearly 20 years ago

Officer James Poole and Christopher Jones. (Columbus Police Department)

A 24-year-old man burst into tears Friday when he met for the first time the Ohio police officer who saved him from drowning nearly 20 years ago.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that Christopher Jones surprised Columbus officer James Poole when he tapped him on the shoulder and asked if he remembered him.

“About 1997, you pulled a 5-year-old out of a swimming pool, saved his life,” Jones said.

“Wow,” Poole said as they embraced.

“I never thought that something I would do 19, 20 years later would come back, and somebody would thank me,” the 43-year-old Poole told the paper.

Jones said he had been underwater for a longtime when Poole rescued him from the bottom of a Columbus swimming pool. Poole was a rookie cop in 1997.

The reunion took place after Jones saw a photo of Poole on Columbus Police Department’s Facebook last month.

Jones left a comment that said, “I think that’s the Officer Poole who saved my life.”

At the reunion, Poole met Jones’ young daughter.

“Because of you, I’m still here,” Jones told him. “Because of you this little five-year-old girl is still here.”