Magnolia West High School incoming sophomore Seth Blendermann recently earned his Eagle Scout award with Boy Scout Troop 113, which is chartered by Salem Lutheran Church. 

Blendermann is a third generation Eagle Scout. His father received his Eagle Scout rank in 1973 while Blendermann’s great uncle earned the rank in 1927.

Blendermann also received a National Court of Honor prior to the ceremony.  Boy Scouts of America Orion District Executive Joel Rice presented Blendermann with the Boy Scout Heroism Medal. 

Blendermann’s life-saving event took place at Boy Scout Camp Orr in the Arkansas Mountains in July 2010. According to representatives from Troop 113, the life guards in training of which Blendermann was a part of were posted in the National Buffalo River to help with the large groups of scouts working on the swimming merit badge. 

Director of Aquatics Jacob Hiatt recounted in a letter to the National Council how during a morning swimming session a scout fell into distress after being caught in the underwater dead plant material, which caused the swimmer to go into “active drowning,” the Troop stated.

Blendermann was closest to the swimmer and immediately went into action. He swam to the scout, went underwater to retrieve him and pulled him to shore, saving his fellow scout’s life. 

Sam Houston Area Council, the second largest Boy Scout council in the United States, presented only two Heroism medals in 2010 with Blendermann being the recipient of one of them.

He was awarded the two highest awards that the Boy Scouts of America has to offer in the centennial year of Scouting, 2010.

Letters of congratulations were read at this ceremony by many dignities including Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan, Tomball Police Chief Robert Hauck, Greater Tomball Chamber of Commerce President Bruce Hillegeist, President George H.W. Bush, President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama.

Blendermann said that his plans after college are to go into the field of public service.

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