Owyhee County Sheriff’s Deputies Triston Hawkes and Chase Rhodes were wrapping up their shifts at the county jail when a 9-1-1 call came in.  An 18-year-old was trapped under an ATV at a nearby trailhead and needed help.

When they arrived, they discovered the young man was unconscious, had no pulse and wasn’t breathing. Helped by a good Samaritan, they lifted the large side-by-side off the man’s neck and chest.

His pulse returned, and he began breathing again, but he was still unconscious. The deputies went to work, examining him for other injuries and mobilizing his head and neck.

A short time later the EMTs arrived, and together, they placed the injured man on a backboard and loaded him onto a lifeflight helicopter bound for St. Al’s here in Boise. Thankfully, he made a full recovery.

For those heroic efforts, the pair recently received a Red Cross Lifesaving Award at Idaho and East Oregon board meeting. Though Hawkes is no longer with the department and was unable to attend, his mother, Paula Hawkes, accepted the award on his behalf. Paula is a 9-1-1 dispatcher with the sheriff's office.

The deputies were nominated by their boss, Owyhee County Sheriff Larry Kendrick.

“When the moment came – and it always happens fast – but when the moment came to act, they did so decisively, they did so diligently and they did so professionally,” Sheriff Kendrick said. “They saved him, they brought him back to life and they did a great job.

“Throughout most deputies’ careers you see tragedy after tragedy after tragedy, so events like these will overshadow many of those.”

This is one of the highest honors given by the American Red Cross. Since Red Cross reintroduced this program in 2018, we have handed out more than 3,000 of these awards, including eight here in Idaho. Together these heroes have saved more than 1,544 lives across the country.

LEARN LIFESAVING SKILLS

Red Cross offers a wide range of health and safety classes from CPR and first aid to swimming safety and babysitting training. Learn more and sign up for a class today at redcross.org/takeaclass.