Sheriff Nicholson said actions prevented tragedy
It was March. It was cold. A man was trapped in his side-by-side which was upside down in a creek.
Two Gilmer County deputies, Blake Heptinstall and Corporal Clayton Hughes, jumped into the water to start the rescue.
“The quick and decisive actions of these two deputies prevented what would have been a tragic outcome,” said Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson.
Nicholson honored the two men at the Gilmer County commissioner’s regular meeting Aug. 14.
It was 6 p.m., March 25, when Heptinstall and Hughes arrived at the scene on Jones Creek Road where they were told there was a motor vehicle accident.
The men discovered a distraught woman in the driveway who could hardly speak or stand. She pointed at the creek, according to the incident report.
“Without regard for their own safety, they immediately jumped into the frigid water and was able to provide aid and ensure the victim did not slide into the water and drown,” Nicholson said.
Hughes was able to get inside the overturned vehicle, lift the man up and pass him out to Heptinstall.
They continued to provide aid until fire and EMS were on the scene.
Nicholson said the shift supervisor and the fire department/EMS both recommended the deputies for the honor.
They were both awarded the medal of merit from the sheriff’s office.