A local man is recovering after a near-drowning over the weekend. The high school student who risked his life pulling him to safety is being called an international hero.

Marion High School senior Max Wagner arrived in the United States three weeks ago as an exchange student from Germany.

Over the weekend, Max saved Joe Willems from drowning.

It happened when Max, his host-father Ken Christensen and his brother-in-law Joe got their boat caught up in some rocks along the shore of Marion Reservoir. Joe was on the back of the boat trying to help.

"I didn't have a very good hold I guess, when he started the engine and put
it in gear it flipped me off I landed right in front of the prop," Joe said. "I landed right in front of the prop. It got me, it grabbed my shirt and twisted me right into it."

Caught in the boat's prop, Joe was drowning. That's when Max took action.

"I saw his hair and his hand, and I grabbed his hand so he could breathe,
the propeller was still running and that scared me," Max said.

Max dove into the water and pushed Joe to the surface so he could breathe. He then swam under the boat and tore Joe's shirt from the prop.

The prop ripped the skin on Joe's chest, tore through his arm to the bone and nearly severed his thumb. But thanks to Max, he's alive to tell the story and is expected to make a full recovery.