Brings a tear to my eye. 3 miles is a long, long way!

CHEROKEE COUNTY, S.C. -- A teenager is alive and recovering in a hospital, thanks to a friend who went the extra distance to save him.Brandon Byars, 19, and Hunter Poole, 18, were on a hunting trip near the intersection of Old Plantation Road and Goucher Green Bethel Road in Cherokee County on Sunday night.The teens were following hunting dogs across a beaver dam when Byars fell, landing in 5 feet of water. It was so cold the water was icing over, and Byars could not stay afloat.
He went completely under twice," Poole said.Poole scrambled down to the water's edge, and was able to pull Byars to the bank. By the time Poole dragged his friend from the water, Byars had no feeling in his legs.Poole said, "It's cold. You can't feel nothing -- your hands, your feet. Your body just starts shutting down.""I got him on my shoulders," Poole said,"He was still conscious, talking to me," Poole said. "But he kept going in and out on me."He carried Byars a few miles to where he could get help.They were both soaked and freezing, and it took about three hours for Poole to make it to the location where Byars could be rescued."We're like brothers, Poole said. I'd have done anything to get him out of there."The Cherokee Chronicle was there as first responders loaded Byars into an ambulance for the trip to the Upstate Carolina Medical Center.Byars suffered cuts and hypothermia. The feeling is slowly returning to his legs. He still can't feel from the ankles down, but on Monday he was able to wiggle his toes.He is expected to be released as soon as sometime on Tuesday.Byars' father, Bobby Byars, said, "Luckily, my other adopted son -- Hunter -- he was with him.""If it hadn't been for Hunter, Brandon would be dead," Byars said. "I honestly believe that."In the meantime, Brandon Byars will be going through some testing to make sure he didn't get a staph infection from the dirty swamp water. But in spite of that, his father is thankful for the happy ending."He's alive, that's the main thing," Bobby Byars said. "My youngin's alive."