Latest news with #AwardofValor
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Coffee Co. first responders honored for bravery and courage shown during deadly fishing accident
NEW BROCKTON, Ala. (WDHN) — Monday, March 3, was a special night for eight first responders in New Brockton, who were honored for their bravery and courage during a deadly fishing accident last month. On February 20, Byron Burks, a former Elba athlete, and his relative were out fishing on a pond off Highway 84 when their boat flipped over in 45-degree water about 30 yards from the bank. 'Lady shows up to her house and hears some guys hollering for help,' Coffee County Coroner Arnold Woodham said. The lady immediately called 911. Burks' relative was outside of the flipped boat, but Burks was underneath. First responders say there was no hesitation with what the next step was going to be because help was on the way from other rescue crews 'I don't recall who on the radio responded, but they said, 'We're coming,' and there was never a doubt in our minds that they were,' New Brockton Volunteer Firefighter, Brian Blair said. 'That's just a part of it.' Two firefighters ran around the dam of the pond and jumped into the frigid water to save Burks' relative. After retrieving the man from the overturned boat, the firefighters on the shore quickly formed a human chain to help bring him to safety. 'I have never in my life witnessed what we did that night,' Woodham said. However, they could not locate Burks, and after hours of searching, his body was finally discovered by dive teams. Sadly, Burks drowned to death. The eight first responders who were the first on the scene, including the two who dove into the water to save the one man, were honored by the town of New Brockton and the county for their bravery and courage. 'This isn't what we want, this isn't at all what we want,' New Brockton Volunteer Firefighter, Trent Woodham said. 'For us, for our families, it gives them something to be proud of.' They were given a Certificate of Appreciation. The five men part of the New Brockton Volunteer Fire Department were also given an Award of Valor for their act of heroism. 'These guys who jumped in the water very well could have been a statistic tonight,' Woodham said. 'The research that was done, you have five minutes in that type of water. They go out here and saved this gentlemen.' The following first responders were honored: Brian Blair – New Brockton Volunteer Fire Department Andy Lore – New Brockton Volunteer Fire Department Rusty Locklar- New Brockton Volunteer Fire Department Cody Reeves – New Brockton Volunteer Fire Department Trent Woodham – New Brockton Volunteer Fire Department Stacey Austin – Coffee County Sheriff's Office Jamison Davis – Coffee County Sheriff's Office Zach Worsham – Coffee County Sheriff's Office First responders from several departments were in attendance to show their appreciation to their brothers in arms during New Brockton's regularly scheduled town council meeting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Yahoo
Manitowoc Police K9 born in Slovakia retires after eight years, helped seize over $78,000 and 7.5 pounds of illegal drugs
MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) – The Manitowoc Police Department is celebrating the illustrious career of one of its K9s retiring after nearly 8 years of service in which he helped seize numerous illegal drugs. K9 Neko was born in Slovakia on October 27, 2014, and was brought to the United States in 2016 to be trained as a dual purpose Police K9 in Pennsylvania. Dual-purpose Police K9s are trained in multiple job elements, including drug detection, human tracking, protection, building searches and item detection. UPDATE: Wisconsin convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor gets 27.5 years in prison Officer Koenig partnered with K9 Neko on April 17, 2017, training at Shallow Creek Kennels in Sharpesville, Pennsylvania before Neko's first day on patrol in Manitowoc on May 2, 2017. The duo trained monthly and recertified yearly in all disciplines. K9 Neko's career was spent largely as a passive alert drug detection dog, trained to sniff out an odor's source. Upon locating the strongest odor's location, he would sit or lie down. In his career, K9 Neko helped to find and seize over 7.5 pounds of drugs and over $78,000 in cash from drug deals, including the following drugs: 837.2 grams of cocaine 52.2 grams of crack cocaine 16.2 grams of heroin 22.1 grams of fentanyl 3.4 grams of ecstasy, MDMA 8.7 grams of psilocybin mushrooms 1634.7 grams of marijuana bud 288.3 grams of marijuana wax/edibles 23 morphine/prescription pills 250 items of drug paraphernalia K9 Neko also helped locate 78 missing people or suspects in his career with searches and detection, along with four recovered firearms. Police department in Wisconsin in 'critical need' for more officers, hasn't increased in 17 years In March 2023, Officer Koenig and K9 Neko also received an Award of Valor for lifesaving efforts made a month before, when they located a man requiring immediate medical help, as he would've died from cold temperatures if left unfound. Upon his retirement, K9 Neko will live with Officer Koenig, spending 'some well-deserved days rolling around in the snow, spending time with his family, and enjoying lots of treats and toys,' the post said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
