Red Cross Announces Recipients of Bravo for Bravery Awards

Submitted by Daphne Hart

The American Red Cross of Orange County held its 6th annual Bravo for Bravery awards breakfast on Thursday, June 4, 2009, at the Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin. Bravo for Bravery is an annual event that recognizes and celebrates extraordinary acts of courage by members of our local community.

In a letter read at the event, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger thanked honorees for their efforts and said, “Your commitment to provide unwavering service to others has had a positive impact on countless lives.”

Winners of the awards are:

Darrell Cowan

Darrell Cowan was driving on I-605 when he witnessed a car lose control, fly into a ditch, hit a tree and catch fire. He pulled over, ran to the vehicle and told the four occupants to exit immediately, but they replied that they wanted to wait for an ambulance as they were injured. As the fire increased in intensity, Cowan was able to convince the occupants that they needed to exit the vehicle, but they were unable to do so without help.

Cowan carried the passengers out of the car and up an embankment, before returning to help free the trapped driver. Just after the two men escaped the burning car, the engine compartment combusted and the vehicle became completely engulfed in flames.

Robert Olvera

When Robert Olvera, a backdrop painter at the Disneyland Resort, saw an overturned semi truck gushing fuel on the freeway, he immediately pulled over to help. He grabbed a fire extinguisher that he had received in a training class and ran to the truck. Olvera cut his face reaching through broken glass to help the driver, who was suspended upside down in the cab, remove his seat belt.

Olvera realized that the victim’s leg was pinned just before a California Highway Patrol officer arrived. Olvera and the officer worked together to free the man’s leg and pull the driver to safety. A fuel-soaked Olvera then continued on to Disneyland, where his supervisor told him to take a day off with pay.

Derek Smith

During a morning surfing expedition, Derek Smith saw another surfer, George Romero, roll off his board and disappear. Though he didn’t know Romero, Smith paddled over and dove under the water. Smith pulled Romero to the surface and discovered that Romero was convulsing, with foam coming out of his mouth, and wasn’t breathing.

Smith called for help and another surfer helped Smith get Romero onto his board. While still in the water, Smith tilted Romero’s head back to clear his airway. More surfers arrived and they all worked together to get Romero back to shore, while others called 911. In nominating Smith for the Bravo for Bravery award, Seal Beach Lifeguard Joe Bailey stated, “I have no doubts that Derek Smith’s quick action saved George Romero’s life.”

Fire Apparatus Engineer Ted Sage

While on vacation with his family in Lake Mohave, Ted Sage’s inherent courage and training as an emergency medical technician (EMT) proved invaluable when he was approached by a boater looking for someone with medical training. Sage immediately volunteered and was led to an unconscious man who had been pulled from a boat that had sunk after being struck by another craft at high speed.

After Sage started CPR, the man began breathing but remained unconsciousness. Sage continued to provide EMT-level care until paramedics arrived. The man was then flown to Las Vegas University Medical Center where he was treated for head and internal injuries and a collapsed lung.

Corporal Dave Crivelli and Officer Kyle Davis

Corporal Dave Crivelli and Officer Kyle Davis were dispatched to a possible apartment fire in the City of Cypress. When Crivelli arrived on the scene, he was told that a man was inside the burning apartment. Crivelli opened the iron security door, only to be pushed back by a thick wall of black smoke.

Davis arrived around this time and the two men worked in tandem, removing furniture to clear a pathway to the resident. They crawled through heavy smoke before locating the man, who was lying on a burning sofa, and together they dragged him outside.

Officers Paul Ruiz, James Brewer, Erick Carlson, Thomas Mellana and Brock Paul

Cypress Police Officers Paul Ruiz, James Brewer, Erick Carlson, Thomas Mellana and Brock Paul responded to a 911 call to find a home engulfed in flames, with fire leaping into the air through the roof. They peered through the windows and saw a disoriented woman wandering around inside.

Despite the growing flames, heat and heavy smoke, the five officers broke through the front door and located the woman. Carlson then scooped her up into his arms and the men went outside, where they performed first aid until paramedics arrived. Each officer was taken to the hospital due to smoke inhalation. The Orange County Fire Authority concluded that the resident would have perished had it not been for the brave actions of the five officers.

Firefighters Jim Portillo and Mark Dunn

Anaheim Firefighters Jim Portillo, Mark Dunn and Mark Edinger responded to a structure fire, known as the Rimwood Fire, in November. Edinger was working on the roof when it collapsed beneath him and he fell into an intensely hot and smoke-filled attic.

Without hesitation, Portillo and Dunn rushed to Edinger’s aid, risking their own lives on an unstable roof in an attempt to save their colleague. The roof continued to crumble, at one point nearly bringing Portillo down as well, but the two men persisted. Portillo and Dunn’s courage, strength and combined efforts unquestionably saved Edinger’s life.

Patrick Earley

Bravery has been a quality Patrick Earley has always possessed. He served as a paratrooper in World War II and has been a dedicated blood donor for many years, first in Canada and then in the United States. In 1992, while donating blood at the American Red Cross in Santa Ana, Earley was approached by a nurse who asked if he would be interested in donating platelets.

After listening to a short explanation, he quickly agreed. Since then, Earley has consistently given a double donation every two weeks. Last year, at age 83, Earley reached a huge milestone: 600 platelet donations. Earley continues to be a dedicated donor.

Fernando Gutierrez

When a patron of Landmark Steakhouse Restaurant in Newport Beach started choking, Fernando Gutierrez sprang into action. Gutierrez, a member of the restaurant’s wait staff, heard a woman cry out for someone to help her friend, who was slumped over on a table and struggling to breathe. As others watched, Gutierrez calmly picked up the woman, performed an abdominal thrust to dislodge the food caught in her throat and performed rescue breathing until paramedics arrived on the scene.

Melissa Billy Ann Huber

July 7, 2008, began as an ordinary day for Melissa Billy Ann Huber and her family and ended with the 7-year-old a hero. Melissa’s mother was not feeling well, but dismissed it as food poisoning. Later that day, Melissa found her mother lying on the floor. She immediately picked up the telephone and called 911.

Melissa told the emergency operator that her mother was unconscious and was able to calmly answer questions that helped the dispatcher determine the nature of the medical emergency. Mrs. Huber was taken to the emergency room and went into surgery within hours. The surgeon praised Melissa, stating that her quick actions had saved her mother’s life.

Sammy the Dog and Firefighter Geoff Delabar

Sammy is more than Marieta Kelley’s best friend and loyal companion; he is her hero. Kelley was sleeping one night when Sammy started barking. She told him to be quiet and attempted to go back to sleep. A few minutes later, Sammy jumped on her bed and started barking again. When Kelley continued to ignore Sammy, he grabbed Kelley’s comforter and pulled it off her.

It was then that Kelley smelled smoke and realized that Sammy had been warning her. She fought her way through the smoke to wake her roommates and get outside. When firefighters arrived, Kelley realized that Sammy wasn’t there and started pleading for someone to save her 4-legged-hero. One of the firefighters, Geoff Delabar, rushed into the burning house and emerged with Sammy’s limp body. Delabar and another firefighter placed an oxygen mask on Sammy’s face and sat with him for nearly 45 minutes until he woke up. Sammy was then taken to a veterinary hospital, where he spent the night inside an oxygen chamber before being released the following day.