Officer saves boy from drowning

Here's another officer with a great story that we honored at our Sept. 23 ceremony. Officer Eric De Valkenaere received the Life-Saving Award for actions he took while he was off duty. The night was really special because Officer DeValkenaere was reunited at the ceremony with the little boy he saved, Levi Martin (they're pictured above). Here's their story:

Officer DeValkenaere was enjoying an afternoon with his children at a neighborhood swimming pool on May 28, 2010, when someone noticed a child at the bottom of the pool.

The unconscious boy was quickly pulled from the water, and Officer DeValkenaere located the boy’s pulse and determined he was not breathing. Officer DeValkenaere then used rescue breathing until the boy spit up water and began shallow breathing.

When officers responded to the scene, they found Officer DeValkenaere holding the boy so he was laying on his side and keeping the boy’s airways open. He continued to talk to the boy and encouraged him to breathe until the boy gained consciousness. The boy was taken to the hospital and discharged with no permanent injury.

Police Officer Michael Wells, who had responded to the call, said Officer DeValkenaere displayed the ability to remain calm during the crisis and perform the actions required to save the boy’s life.

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