‘Right place, right time:’ Centre College student-athlete saves lives on spring break

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - One Centre College student athlete is becoming a well-known face in the community. Student-athlete Zack Mason has saved lives not once, but twice this school year. The Crestwood, Kentucky native said his job on and off the field is to protect others.

“Being an offensive lineman, I’ve always put other people before myself, so that was just an initial reaction. It’s just who I am,” Mason said.

Like other college students, Mason, along with his teammates and fraternity brothers headed to Gulf Shores, Alabama for spring break. While he and his friends were in the water, they heard two people in distress, and they didn’t hesitate to swim out and save them.

“We turned our heads and there were two girls probably 200 yards away from us, just getting torn up by the water...” Mason said, “It was a pretty surreal situation, I don’t think I realized how special it was until I saw that, or just how big of a deal it was.”

This wasn’t the only time Mason saved a life this school year. Back in the fall, while traveling out of state for football, he crossed paths with someone in need.

“I was like are you choking? And she nodded her head yes, so I got behind her and did the Heimlich, and on the first try I got it out. It was a piece of cantaloupe, and that was crazy too.”

He said in both of these instances he was out of state, but surrounded by friends who were there to help. He attributes both of these saves to his love for the game of football.

His journey of helping people doesn’t end here. He will be attending Regis University in Denver to study Physical Therapy. He said giving a helping hand is what made he want to go to school for this career.

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