Nine Gainesville firefighters are the recipients of the city fire department’s 2024 Lifesaving Award.
Six of them – Danny Nguyen, Samuel Skelton and Jake Watts; sergeants Dylan Elliott and Jonathan McEver; and Lt. Tyler Thurmond – are credited with saving the life of a woman who suffered traumatic injuries while boating with family one afternoon near Lake Lanier Olympic Park.
“Station 2 personnel, along with one Hall County Fire Rescue battalion chief, arrived within minutes to the emergency, applying several field trauma tourniquets to the [victim’s] injuries before being transported to the medical center,” said Gainesville Fire Chief Brandon Ellis. “After the incident happened, multiple ER doctors and trauma surgeons made comments back to the department that their fast actions, and skills performed on scene and while enroute … possibly saved this woman’s life and made for a positive outcome.”
Firefighters Ivey Kennedy and Carson Harrell, and Sgt. Josh Hix were credited with saving the life of an elderly woman who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at a Gainesville business.
“Their fast actions and exceptional training allowed the crew to regain a pulse on scene,” Chief Ellis said. “The patient was later seen at the hospital, received a pacemaker and was able to walk out of the hospital a few days later.”
All were recognized at a recent meeting of the Gainesville Mayor and City Council.