Ask the American Red Cross of Southern Maine and they’ll tell you: Austin Marhak and Judy French are real heroes.

In fact, they’re lifesavers, and they’re being recognized for their efforts as Southern Maine Real Heroes by the Red Cross at a breakfast at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland March 13.

French, a longtime EMT in Alfred, where she’s assistant rescue chief, and in Waterboro, where she works part-time, was driving home after a 4-to-midnight Waterboro shift ”“ with her scanner on ”“ when she heard a tone go out for a man who was unresponsive and without a pulse. The call was nearby, so French responded.

Marhak was 14 last summer when he was swimming with a group of friends at Sanford Recreation’s swimming area on the Mousam River. Two of his friends got in trouble, and Marhak was able to bring them to safety.

Marhak said he and about 10 friends were at the popular swimming area when they decided to swim to Freedom Rock, about 40 to 50 yards across the Mousam River. Marhak made it to the rock, as did several others in the group, but he noticed two brothers were having difficulties. The younger boy was tired, so his older brother told him to get on his back. Then the older brother began to tire.

“I went in after them, and I pulled the younger one to the rock,” said Marhak from his Sanford home Thursday afternoon. “And I jumped back into the water.”

The older boy had gone under a couple of times, Marhak said. The boy hung on to Marhak, but that wasn’t working well. However, Marhak was eventually able to pull him toward the rock.

“I got him on the rock, and he told me he was feeling lightheaded and dizzy and that he had asthma,” Marhak recalled.

So he swam back to the beach and alerted his mother, Mandy Worall, who has previously worked in health care, and calls were made to 911 and the boys’ parents.

“I was nervous at first,” said Marhak of the rescue effort, but said he grew calm as the rescue played out. And while he’s had no training, his father and a cousin were once lifeguards, so he had some idea of what do to, he said. A sophomore at Massabesic High School, Marhak said he is thinking about pursuing a career as an EMT.

French has been an emergency medical technician for 20 years in Maine and back in Massachusetts, before she moved to the Pine Tree State. She works per diem and as a volunteer.

The call she heard on the scanner that summer night wasn’t too far away from where she was driving, so she headed to the address. She saw the blue lights of a Maine State Police car headed in the same direction ”“ both arrived at the same time. She went in, and found the man in distress ”“ the call had been for a possible drug overdose.

“He didn’t look good,” French said, and the man wasn’t breathing properly. “I opened his airway and started CPR.”

French said it felt like she was administering CPR “forever,” but estimated it was a matter of minutes before Alfred Rescue arrived.

“Initially I felt for a pulse ”“ there wasn’t one,” said French. “But then I started feeling one. I was so happy.”

French said she feels like any other off-duty EMT would have done the same thing, had they heard the call. According to the Red Cross, official reports from the call show that if not for French’s “immediate, effective” CPR intervention, the outcome may well have been different, the man would not have been breathing or had a pulse for 10 minutes, which usually results in death.

As for Marhak, Sanford Fire Chief Jeff Rowe said his actions stood out.

“This (rescue) was at great risk,” said Rowe.

The two York County residents are among five people to be honored by the Red Cross at the breakfast. Others include Yarmouth resident Terry Flaherty and his family, who will be recognized with the Blood Services Award; Janice Parker of Portland with the Real Heroes Education Award; and Servpro, with the Real Heroes Corporate Partner Award.

“These individuals and groups have demonstrated acts of heroism and have shown courage, kindness and unselfish character in their service to others,” said Pat Murtagh, CEO of the American Red Cross of Maine.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.