51.8 F
Wrightsville Beach
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Humphrey, Brown receive lifesaving awards

Must read

Bryan Humphrey and Michael Brown were each presented with a Citizen Emergency Award at the Board of Aldermen meeting on Thursday, Sept. 11.

“Obviously, they went above and beyond the call of duty,” town manager Tim Owens said in a Sept. 9 phone interview. “Luckily we don’t have to do this kind of thing very often, but we thought it was important to acknowledge their assistance.”

Humphrey and Brown were among the first to the scene when Wylene Booth McDonald fell out of her boat around 9:30 pm on Aug. 20. Through their quick action, they were able to locate the victim who was floating facedown under a dock. Brown pulled McDonald to shore and emergency personnel performed CPR to restore her pulse.

Wrightsville Beach Fire Chief Frank Smith and Wrightsville Beach Police Chief Dan House presented the awards.

“On behalf of the town of Wrightsville Beach we would like to recognize Mr. Brown and Mr. Humphrey for their service on that evening and present them with service awards for helping to bring about a positive outcome.” House said.

“It was a whole committee,” Humphrey said while accepting his award. “There were six of us who helped.”

McDonald also attended the meeting to show her gratitude to her rescuers.

“Thank you,” she said while embracing each of them after the meeting. “Even though I know that doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Rick Kappelmann, who also assisted in the rescue effort, described watching emergency personnel attempting to secure McDonald’s airway after Brown pulled her from the water.

“I saw you cough,” he told McDonald, “and I thought, she’s going to make it. You’re a fighter.”

Making the story even more amazing, McDonald said, was that Brown, who is hearing-impaired, was the one to find her in the water. McDonald serves on the board of The CARE Project, a nonprofit that raises funds for the deaf and hard of hearing, and she has two grandchildren with hearing impairments.

“He can’t even hear me sitting next to him,” Brown’s wife, Jane, said with a laugh.

And yet Brown said it was the faint sound of McDonald moaning that allowed him to locate her in the dark water that night.

“It was a miracle,” McDonald said.

email [email protected]

- Advertisement -spot_img

More articles

- Advertisement -spot_img

Latest articles