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Scientists Save a Life, Win DOI's Exemplary Act Award
Last spring, a boy swept offshore in a rip current was rescued by biologists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Fisheries Research Center's Marrowstone Marine Field Station on Marrowstone Island (WA) at the northern entrance to Puget Sound. The employees who saved the boy—Nancy Elder, Jacob Gregg, and Paul Hershberger—were honored on October 13 at the Western Region Awards Ceremony, held in Menlo Park, CA, where they received the U.S. Department of the Interior's Exemplary Act Award. Nancy, Jake, and Paul were among several USGS Western Region employees who received Exemplary Act Awards, which recognize individuals for their prompt action in attempting to save the life of another without involving personal risk to the nominee. Here is their story, in an excerpt from the citation read by Western Regional Director Doug Buffington at the awards ceremony: "On April 30, 2004, Nancy Elder mentioned to station chief Paul Hershberger that she had spotted children playing in the water in front of their laboratory. Soon after spotting the children, the staff heard screaming in the parking lot and immediately suspected that something was wrong. Paul ran out of his office and grabbed several life vests and float coats. At the northern point of the island, he saw a boy's head bobbing in the riptide, approximately 200 yards offshore, but realized that this was too far to throw a flotation device. Nancy immediately went to the wet lab to alert coworker Jake Gregg that they had an emergency. While Nancy called the 911 operator, who transferred her to the U.S. Coast Guard, Paul and Jake decided to perform a difficult launch of their boat from the beach next to the lab. This quick thinking resulted in the successful rescue of the boy, who, at the time he was pulled onboard, was being swept offshore well into the shipping lanes. The boy was slowly warmed with blankets to bring up his body temperature. Were it not for the quick thinking and decision making of the USGS laboratory staff, the ending of this near-tragic event would have been much different."
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in this issue:
Coastal Ground Water Discharge Benthic Habitats Near Oil Platforms
Suspended Sediment, Turbidity, and Fish Feeding Behavior USGS Monterey Bay Science Prototype
USGS Biologists Receive DOI Honor Awards
Netherlands Students Assist USGS in Florida
USGS Contributes to New Book About Point Loma |
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U. S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
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