On June 29, 1983, Delaney died while trying to rescue three kids from drowning in a water hole in Monroe, Louisiana. He didn't know how to swim.
To say that Delaney's actions are a great example and role model would be an understatement. When someone else was in trouble, he didn't hesitate to help, even if he didn't exactly know how. He put his life on the line without hesitation to try and help others who were in trouble.
How often do we find ourselves in situations where somebody we know needs help, but we are not sure how to help them? For many people, the response then is to try and push the responsibility off to someone else, and hope that someone else can help them. But we need to take the lesson of Joe Delaney, and jump in with whatever help we can provide. It may not be perfect, but some help is better than no help.
I will end with a quote from Rick Reilly's article on Joe Delaney, which is very much worth a read (and also short):
Anyway, the point is, next time you're reading the sports section and you're about half-sick of DUIs and beaten wives, put it down for a second and remember Joe Delaney, who, in that splinter of a moment, when a hero was needed, didn't stop to ask why.
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