Three area teens will be honored with the Boy Scouts of America’s extreme risk heroism award at a ceremony July 28.

The award will be presented to Brock Gardner of Peachtree City and Brett Boot of Sharpsburg. It also will be presented posthumously to Danen Clarke, who died while conducting the act of heroism he’s being cited for.

The three were “wake skating” in a pool of water that had accumulated after a rainstorm July 6, 2005 when Clarke’s cousin was sucked underwater. As they attempted to find the cousin underwater, Clarke and Gardner both got caught in the current. Boot had assistance in getting a rope to pull Brock to safety.

Meanwhile, Clarke was sucked through the culvert and went missing. A massive search by fire and police was conducted but had to be called off due to the storm and other conditions.

Clarke’s body was found the next day, caught in branches that prevented him from being swept into Lake Peachtree.

The Honor Medal with Crossed Palms has only been bestowed 199 times since its creation in 1922.

The boys are specifically being honored for “unusual heroism and extraordinary skill or resourcefulness in saving or attempting to save life at extreme risk to self.”

Clarke’s brother Brandon will accept the award on behalf of his brother, and he will also receive his own Eagle scout ranking at the same ceremony. Because Boot is out of the country on his two-year service mission in Argentina, his brother Andy will accept the award on his behalf.

The ceremony will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Peachtree City building, where their scout troop meets and where the three boys attended church and became friends.

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