A courageous teenager is being hailed as a hero after he jumped into an Alabama river to rescue a riverboat employee during a chaotic brawl.
The teen, named Aaren, joined a group of individuals who rushed to save the the employee as he was being attacked by a mob at the Montgomery Riverfront.
A rowdy posse of white pontoon boaters attacked riverboat worker Damien Pickett, while he urged them to move their vessel, so the Harriott II Riverboat could dock in its reserved slip.
The Harriet had been attempting to park for around 45 minutes, with the boat’s captain hailing the pontoon through the PA system, only to be disrespected with “curse words” and “obscene gestures” in response.
The captain called the Montgomery Police Department at around 7 p.m. on Saturday night to report the disturbance, and sent Pickett ashore with a small watercraft to engage with the boaters.
According to the New York Post, Pickett tried to “push” the pontoon boat out of the way so the Harriet could dock in the spot and allow the more than 200 passengers to disembark.
In the viral video, Pickett was seen speaking to a man on the dock, when another shirtless man takes a swing at him.
That’s when Picket gave up on diplomacy, threw his hat in the air, and squared up with his assailant.
The two began brawling in earnest, when several other men joined the fray and gave Pickett an unjustified beat down.
At that point, Aaren apparently had enough, so he dove into the water from another boat and swam to the dock to aid Pickett.
In a clip, Aaren can be seen grabbing one of the attackers and body slamming him to the ground.
He has since been dubbed “Black Aquaman” by the internet, and his family is nothing but proud.
“In the face of adversity, Aaren selflessly came to the rescue of a fellow colleague, showcasing courage beyond his years,” a family spokesperson said in a statement.
“The overwhelming love and support pouring in from all corners of the state and surrounding areas have deeply touched Aaren.”
The violence quickly escalated and the fighters seemingly divided among racial lines, as the aggressors were white, and both Pickett and Aaren are black.
Multiple brawls broke out amongst white boaters, and the black onlookers, who came to Pickett’s aid, before police eventually shut the battle down.
Three people were charged with assault on Tuesday, but were not charged with hate crimes.
“We were unable to present any inciting a riot or racially biased charges at this time,” Montgomery Police Chief Darryl J. Albert told the press. “Based on the elements of this crime, those elements did not exist.”
Aaren’s family is “immensely proud of his actions and the values he exemplifies,” and appreciates the attention he has received for his bravery.
“We assure you that he will continue being a force for good in the world,” the family said about Aaren’s future.
