James Alan Garner

James Alan Garner helped rescue Colin McNary from drowning, Columbia, Tennessee, May 23, 2025. McNary, 25, who was severely autistic, ran into the Duck River at a boat ramp in Chickasaw Trace Park and the current swept him downstream. Garner’s brother-in-law, 26, entered the river after McNary and swam to catch up to him. Garner, 41, network engineer, who was on shore near the ramp as his children, ages 13 and 15, played in shallow water, instructed the children to leave the water and go to their car. He then also entered and swam downstream to try to catch up to McNary and his brother-in-law. About 1,000 feet downstream, McNary was swept into a calmer area of the river, where Garner’s brother-in-law caught up with him and grabbed him. McNary, struggling to stay afloat, submerged the brother-in-law. The brother-in-law pushed McNary away to get air and then, standing on an underwater tree limb, grabbed McNary and pushed him toward the riverbank. Garner had now arrived and positioned himself behind McNary. The two men pushed and pulled McNary to a large tree root on the riverbank, where they waited for first-responders. The riverbank had a steep, rocky ledge and they could not climb up into the woods. Garner swam upstream about 120 feet to find an alternative route to climb out of the river, but was unable to locate one and swam back to the others. Garner kept McNary calm until a rescue boat could take McNary back to the boat ramp, where his parents waited. An ambulance took him to a hospital. The boat returned to pick up Garner and his brother-in-law. McNary, Garner, and his brother-in-law were tired and cold but not injured. Garner and his brother-in-law, still wet, later visited the hospital to check on McNary.

2025-0000213-10562