Jory Thomas had never taken his lariat camping before the day a man needed help in the Yellowstone River.
GREYCLIFF, Mont. — A lariat that 14-year-old Jory Thomas normally used to practice roping cattle became an emergency rescue tool when a man was swept down the Yellowstone River near his family’s campground.
Thomas had spent the year improving his skills on the ranch where he grew up. He practiced on a roping dummy in the afternoons and began using a lariat at cattle brandings. That training allowed him to act quickly after a July 5 accident left a man drifting downstream while clinging to a cooler.
Thomas was camping with his family near Greycliff when cries for help came from across the river. A raft and paddleboard had hit a bridge pillar, throwing four people into the water. Three reached the bank, but the fourth continued moving with the current.
“This current was pretty fast then, and he was moving pretty quickly,” Thomas said.
The teenager removed the belongings from his pockets, crossed a waist-deep channel and sprinted along the bank. He carried the 12-foot lariat that he had brought to the campground, an unusual decision that became critical as he tried to reach the man before the current carried him farther away.
Sandy Thomas, Jory’s grandmother, said the family camps along that part of the river a few times each summer. Although Jory often joins them, she said he had never brought his lariat on an earlier trip.
“We come down to this campground a couple times during the summer,” she said. “Jory comes over quite frequently and has never, ever brought his lariat with him before. And that day he did.”
Thomas positioned himself near the water and threw the loop toward the man. He said his first thought was to catch him and pull him closer before he drifted beyond reach. The loop connected on the first throw.
The teenager carefully pulled the man through water that reached Thomas’ chest. He continued guiding him toward the bank until first responders arrived. The man’s identity and further details about his condition were not included in the report.
Thomas said he had started taking roping more seriously during the past year. He joined cattle-branding work and practiced repeatedly at home, building the accuracy he relied on during the rescue.
His family also had experience with emergency response. Thomas said his father and brothers serve with the local fire department. Faced with a fast current and a man moving downstream, however, the teenager said he did not believe he could wait for crews to reach the scene.
Thomas’ grandmother said helping people is part of his character and that the community was proud of him. Thomas described the outcome more simply, saying he felt good knowing the man was out of the river and safe.
Before the rescue, Thomas viewed roping as a ranch skill meant for working cattle. The July 5 emergency showed that the hours spent practicing a precise loop could also give him a way to reach a person in danger.
“I just thought I could help with cattle,” Thomas said. “Not really helping humans and stuff like that. But I’m glad I was here to help.”
Author note: Last updated July 20, 2026.