ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Sunday will mark 17 years since the St. Louis Dream Center drownings. Five children died when the strong current of the Meramec River at Castlewood State Park pulled them under.
Four of those children were siblings, 17-year-old Damon Johnson, 14-year-old Ryan Mason, 13-year-old Dana Johnson and 10-year-old Bryant Barnes.
Sixteen-year-old Deandra Sherman also drowned just off the beach of the Meramec River. The children were enjoying a picnic at Castlewood State Park put on by the St. Louis Dream Center. The church is part of Televangelist Joyce Meyer Ministries.
July in St. Louis is hot, on July 9, 2006, the Meramec River seemed like the perfect place to play and cool off.
"We was in the water and we didn't know the water had an undertow," lone survivor J.W. Miller, who went by Joseph at the time, recounts for 5 On Your Side. "I put my hand in the water and saw the current was getting faster."
PHOTOS: Remembering the children who drowned
Drifting down the river, the water went from waist to neck deep on the then 16-year-old J.W. He looked over to see his best friend's sister Dana go under. Miller said, "She drowned and I knew I was next ... I was in the water and I went down, gave up and went down and something told me to go up. And I prayed, 'God I know you can hear me out here.'"
His friend Damon tried to answer that call for help. Miller told 5 On Your Side, "When Damon got to me he was on my left and trying to get me to the shore, he disappeared under the water."
With multiple kids in trouble in the river, a woman and a stranger put her life on the line. "I saw the woman on top of the rock," Miller said. "She jumps in and tried to save me and she ended up saving me."
Seventeen years later, Miller still doesn't know her name. "I would like to meet her, face to face, and thank her for saving me."
5 On Your Side keeps an extensive archive.
Senior Video Producer, Jacob Kuerth, found a video that may bring Miller one step closer to meeting his rescuer. After the drownings, 5 On Your Side interviewed Terry Meza.
Meza shared her story in 2006, "There is a current there. At one point I would say I felt a little panicky. I was running out of energy and I was trying very hard to get the boy to shore. I'm a pretty good swimmer, but I felt oh keep trying, just keep going. Because I had to have enough energy for both of us."
She did get Miller to shore. He was the only child to make it out of the river alive, "I was talking to my sister Tony and I said 'Do people still blame me for this' and she said 'JW you are not to blame for this incident, you're not, God spared you.'"
Miller has found comfort in his faith, but he would still like to thank the woman who rescued him. If you are or know Terry Meza, please email thinson@ksdk.com and she will connect you to Miller.