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Girl Scout gets national award
After helping rescue four girls from potentially drowning, a Brookfield girl has received one of the most prestigious awards in the Scouts — the USA National Lifesaving Medal of Honor award.
BROOKFIELD, Wis. - A Brookfield Girl Scout is being recognized as a hero today after saving four kids from a potential drowning.
16-year-old Isabel Zuniga-Meyer has been in Girl Scouts for 11 years.
Isabel Zuniga-Meyer
She has now received one of the most prestigious awards in the Scouts — the USA National Lifesaving Medal of Honor award.
Last August, she and her family were at a lake in Waushara County with some family friends.
Four girls, one of them being her little sister, had fallen off of a raft that had drifted away with the current.
Isabel took to her paddleboard to go help.
"Regardless if I was going to get there faster than the other vehicle that was going out there, I just needed to get there as fast as I could to save those girls," she said.
After paddling 1,300 feet in choppy water, she was able to instruct the girls to hold on to her paddleboard until help arrived—saving them from potentially drowning.
"That day could have turned out differently but I think her ability to make great clear-headed decisions and stay calm and be confident played a huge role in the outcome of that day," said Isabel’s mom, Angela Zuniga-Meyer.
Girl Scout Lifesaving Medal
Out of 1.7 million Girl Scouts nationwide-- no more than 40 girls receive this award each year.
"It’s really special to share this moment with my girls today because not only am I showing them that you can be amazing and still be a Girl Scout, but it’s also amazing seeing them have the little joy light up in their eyes that their counselor is getting such an amazing award," Isabel said.
"Girls Scouts build girls with courage, confidence, and character that are making the world a better place," Angela said.
Angela Zuniga-Meyer