Hero Breathing New Life Into the Future of 2 Children

Brian Wiggins did what had to be done.

He heard the screams, and he dove into the dark, cold waters of Channel Islands Harbor.

That’s as standard a procedure for heroes as it is to deny that they’re really heroes. “Just didn’t think about it,” they say after performing some remarkable, life-saving act. “I acted on instinct.”

But what isn’t standard--even for your standard, self-effacing hero--is to go a step beyond instinct and become a hero twice-over.

The day after rescuing two children allegedly being drowned by their mother, Wiggins, a 40-year-old salesman for a legal publishing company, knew that something more had to be done.

The two children he hauled from the water were facing a shattered future.

Their dad had just flown back to his native India, apparently after yet another fight with his wife. Their mom was in jail, arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Just 6, Harpreet Virk had nearly died. Her brother, Sonny, 9, was severely traumatized. The two were the same age as Wiggins’ kids.

Since news of his 2 a.m. harbor plunge hit the papers and the TV broadcasts, he has been deluged with calls from strangers.

“My phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” he said. “Everyone has been dying to help these children.”

But nobody knew just how.

So Wiggins did what had to be done. At the suggestion of his wife, Angie, he went to his bank--the Cal Fed branch in Port Hueneme, withdrew a modest sum and opened an account for Harpreet and Sonny.

“They need an extra helping hand in life,” he said. “Stuffed animals only go so far.”

The account will become a trust fund, but the details are still being worked out. The couple envision a pool of money strictly for the use of the children--one that can be tapped for college or other major expenses as they become adults.

“This can really pyramid,” Wiggins said. “What if one of those kids goes on to become a doctor and saves hundreds of lives?”

If that happens, then unnamed hundreds will owe a little something to a guy who once had a hard time staying asleep in his harbor-side house.

Awakened by Sonny’s cries, Wiggins dove into the channel beside his home as Angie called 911.

“I didn’t think about it,” he said later. “I acted on instinct.”

It had been 20 years since his summer job as a lifeguard at city pools in Los Angeles, but his training served him well.

After fishing all three out, Wiggins gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to little Harpreet.

“I was so relieved when she threw up all this salt water,” he said. “She took a deep breath and was moaning in pain. I looked in her eyes and thought, ‘Oh my God, this could be my kid. . . . “

Wiggins said paramedics told him that Harpreet would have died had she floated face-down for another 60 seconds.

In a day or two, the Wigginses and their kids hope to meet with the kids he saved.

Meanwhile, Brian is uneasy with his fleeting celebrity status. At his martial arts class, his sensei had him recite the particulars of his heroic experience.

“I was embarrassed,” Wiggins said. “I’m a sideline kind of guy. I’m not the kind of person who normally gets involved.”

He chose the right moment to change.

Steve Chawkins can be reached at 653-7561 or by e-mail at steve.chawkins@latimes.com.