WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Two sisters from central Iowa are being awarded a medal and cash award for college tuition, as a reward for their selfless efforts to save two young boys from drowning in an icy pond. Fifteen-year-old Jasmine and 17-year-old Jacora Morris, of West Des Moines, didn’t think twice when they jumped into the pond on Feb. 25 to save two young boys.

The sisters noticed the boys struggling under the freezing water when they looked out their third-story window at the Sun Prairie Apartments. Wearing only shorts and tank tops, the girls ran to the pond and jumped into the water before pulling the boys to safety prior to the arrival of medics.

Now, nearly eight months later, the sisters have learned they are receiving the Carnegie Hero Medal. The national prestigious award is considered the highest civilian honor for people who risk their lives to save others. The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission heavily vets the recipients and spends months verifying the lifesaving situation.

The Morris sisters will receive the medal in person at a later date, as well as $7,500 each to use toward tuition.