Local state rep will award medal to hero's family

State Rep. Beryl Amedee, the Gray Republican who represents portions of east St. Mary in the state House, was set Wednesday present a medal to the par-ents of a college student who died trying to save children from drowning.

The ceremony was to be in Gray. That’s the home of Lenny and Kristi Gros Gravois, parents of the late Layne Paul Gravois.

The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission named Layne Gravois one of its 2021 heroes.

According to his obituary, Gravois, 21 at the time of his death, was a 2018 honors graduate from E.D. White, where he played football and baseball.

He went on to LSU to study electrical engineering.

According to the commission, Gravois was at Miramar Beach, Florida on April 8, 2021.

Alerted on the beach that children were in distress in the turbulent Gulf of Mexico surf, Gravois and several friends, entered the water, swimming toward multiple people in the water, the Carnegie Commission said.

A human chain was formed from shore in an attempt to reach those in distress. Buffeted by heavy waves, Gravois and two friends were removed from the water by others.

Gravois, who was unresponsive, was among 11 people who needed medical attention from first-responders on the beach.

Gravois was taken to a hospital, where he died the following day.

In addition to his parents, Gravois is survived by a brother, Collin, and a sister, Addison.

The Carnegie Commission said the most recent quarter’s awardees saved nine children from 5 to 13.

The Carnegie Medal is given throughout the U.S. and Canada to those who enter extreme danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of others. With this announcement, a total of 10,291 Carnegie Medals have been awarded since the Pittsburgh-based Fund’s inception in 1904.

Commission Chair Mark Laskow said each of the awardees or their survivors will also receive a financial grant. Throughout the 118 years since the Fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Car-negie, nearly $44 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance.