LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday honored 29 sworn personnel and one civilian with Lifesaving Awards for their heroic actions.
The Lifesaving Award is “designated for employees or reserve members of the department whose actions resulted in the saving or preservation of a human life, which would have been otherwise lost without their direct involvement,” according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
Among those presented with Lifesaving medals on Wednesday were two deputies assigned to the Lancaster Station, one deputy assigned to the Palmdale Station, and two deputies transporting an inmate from the Antelope Valley courthouse.
Lancaster Station deputies John Fink III and Darin Van Arsdale were recognized for saving a father and daughter left injured in the street by a hit-and-run driver. According to the Sheriff’s Information Bureau:
On Saturday, July 2, 2016, Deputies Fink and Van Arsdale, assigned to Lancaster Sheriff’s Station, responded to a traffic collision with injuries. They discovered the suspect fled the scene, and left a father and his eight-year-old daughter lying injured in the middle of a busy roadway. Deputy Fink secured the crash site, requested medical assistance and coordinated a search for the suspect. Deputy Van Arsdale applied a tourniquet to the man’s partially-detached leg and comforted the shocked little girl.
The suspect was located and arrested for the charge of driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage while on felony probation.”
Palmdale Station deputy Wyatt L. Waldron was recognized for saving a suicidal woman. According to the Sheriff’s Information Bureau:
On Tuesday, July 28, 2015, Deputy Waldron responded to a suicide attempt in the city of Palmdale, where a woman stood on the outside ledge, 60 feet above a concrete driveway, ready to jump.
Deputy Waldron spoke with her in a compassionate tone and persuaded her to step back. As she did, the woman lost her balance and extended her hand to the deputy. Deputy Waldron seized her hand and brought her back to safety.”
Deputies Rene Valencia-Chavira and Jason A. Weil were recognized for saving a female inmate who suffered a medical emergency while being transported from the courthouse. According to the Sheriff’s Information Bureau:
As Deputies Valencia-Chavira and Weil drove from the Antelope Valley Courthouse on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016, to transport a female inmate, they realized the inmate suffered a medical emergency.
Deputy Weil immediately pulled the radio car to the freeway shoulder, and with the assistance of Deputy Valencia-Chavira, removed the woman from the vehicle. He requested medical assistance and administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation until paramedics arrived and she was transported to a local hospital.”
To read the lifesaving stories of other honorees from Sheriff’s substations across Los Angeles County, click here.
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Alby says
Congratulations. They did what they are paid to do.
Tim Scott says
Nahhh. They’re paid to generate income from fines and maintain the structure that makes taxes collectable. I’m more than willing to give them credit for their occasional good deeds.
Kathleen says
The deputy is from Palmdale, the incident happened in Long Beach.
Tim Scott says
Thanks. That helped. The only place I could think of that offered even a remote possibility was the hospital, and even that seemed like sixty feet would be a stretch.
Tim Scott says
Just because I’m a curious person I’m wondering where you find an outside ledge sixty feet above a concrete driveway in Palmdale. Any ideas?