(Jefferson City, TN) When Carson-Newman University student Noah Matthews took a walk near Mossy Creek on September 14, 2026, he expected to clear his head. Instead, he found himself in a position to help a three-year-old child with autism in distress.
Matthews was walking back toward a nearby parking lot when he noticed a young boy near the water.
“I originally thought he was playing in the water from where I was standing,” Matthews said. “But as I got closer, I could hear him crying. He was obviously in distress.”
Matthews immediately rushed over and pulled the child from the creek.
“I figured I’d probably have to pull him out of the creek. That would probably be the appropriate course of action,” he said.
After getting the boy to safety, Matthews called university security. While they waited for officers to arrive, the two sat together on a bench and watched cartoons.
According to Matthews, the boy appeared to have been clinging to a tree near the bank of the creek. Officials believe he may have wandered away from a nearby neighborhood.
Eventually, the child was reunited with his mother.
“I was just happy I was able to lend some assistance,” Matthews said. “God was able to use me for good.”
Matthews, who identifies as a Christian, believes there was a reason he happened to be walking by the creek that day.
“I believe that God always uses everything for His glory and His plan,” he said. “No matter what the situation is, He always uses everything to try and build you up and help you become a better person.”
While others have called Matthews a hero, he doesn't see himself that way.
“I’m not a hero,” he said. “God just put me down there at the right place at the right time. That does not make me a hero. He just allowed me to perform a good deed, and I’m grateful that He let me do something like that.”
Matthews also hopes his experience reminds people that making a difference doesn't always require a dramatic act of heroism.
“Sometimes we hear about someone doing something crazy, like pulling someone out of a fire or doing something incredible,” he said. “I think that just overshadows everything.”
Instead, Matthews says even the smallest acts of kindness can have a lasting impact.
“It could just be something as simple as saying hello or asking someone how their day is going.”
Those seemingly small gestures, he said, can remind people that they matter.
“Doing those little things can really matter a whole lot to people,” Matthews said. “It can help make someone’s day, remind them that they matter, that they’re human.”
“I think smiling at somebody, saying hello, is easy to do and it can really change somebody’s day,” Matthews said.