A 90-year-old woman had a chance to thank the neighbors and police officers who came to her aid after her car entered a flooded retention pond during an August storm in Champaign, Illinois.
The car was sinking near the 1900 block of North Prospect Avenue when three community members swam out to help. Four Champaign Police Department officers joined the rescue, and together they brought the driver to safety.
At a September 29 ceremony, the department honored the three residents with Community Lifesaving Awards. Their families and friends heard police personnel recount what they had done. The four officers received the Chief’s Challenge Coin for taking extraordinary measures to protect the driver.
The woman attended the ceremony to offer her thanks in person. Her son also expressed his gratitude in a comment on a police department Facebook post. Identifying himself as a U.S. Coast Guard officer, he wrote, “I know full well how dangerous rescues can be and commend you for your quick and heroic actions.”
