Phoenix Suns center Alex Len saved his friend from drowning while on vacation last month in the Dominican Republic, according to a story in The Arizona Republic.
Lens' size at 7-1 and 260 pounds was a key factor in the rescue of his friend, Jay Johnson, who was caught in a rip current, writes Republic reporter Paul Coro:
Len said the rescue lasted about 10 minutes. They carried Johnson to their room. He skipped his scheduled flight but felt better by dinnertime, when a hotel security guard told him, "If he wasn't as tall as he was, we'd be digging out your body."
Swimming is part of Lens' fitness regimen, according to the Republic's story, and he sometimes swim for 90 minutes without stopping. But even with that background, Lens had a tough carrying his friend against the tide.
"I was panicking at some point too," said Len, the Suns' first-round pick out of Maryland in 2013. "You're putting all of your energy into it and it's taking you back."
Check out the details of how Len rescued Johnson on AZCentral.com
