Two Mercer Island Police Department officers have been recognized with King County Lifesaving Awards after a winter ice-rescue response that helped save a man who fell through the ice at Fish Lake in Chelan County.
According to the Mercer Island Reporter, Officer Jordan Tranter and Officer Shannon Johnson were honored for their roles in a Feb. 3 rescue involving the Mercer Island Police Department Marine Patrol Unit and the King County Sheriff’s Office Marine Rescue Dive Unit.
The report said the local team and sheriff’s office marine-rescue personnel had just been wrapping up annual one-day training when they saw the man fall through the ice and hold himself above 35-degree water. The man, described in the report as approximately 25 years old, was not wearing a life jacket and was not dressed for extreme cold conditions.
Tranter told the newspaper he was humbled by the award and said the rescue came down to being “at the right place at the right time.” He said he was already roughly 100 yards away on the ice when the man went through, and that KCSO and MIPD responded quickly and professionally.
The Reporter, citing MIPD Sgt. David Herzog’s prior account, said Johnson moved a rescue sled with about 300 feet of line toward the break in the ice, where two King County Sheriff’s Office officers had crawled across thin ice toward the man. The man was strapped into the sled and pulled back to the dock by a team of officers.
The story also identified King County Marine Patrol Sgt. Rich Barton and King County Special Operations Division Chief Jose Marenco in the courtesy photo, and noted that Herzog and MIPD Cpl. Kelly Robinson also participated in the rescue.
Mercer Island Police Chief Michelle Bennett said, according to the Reporter, that the department was proud of its officers and stressed the importance of training and preparedness.
“The rescue required quick decision-making, teamwork and a willingness to place themselves in a hazardous environment to assist a person in immediate danger,” Bennett said, according to the Mercer Island Reporter. “Their actions reflect the highest standards of public service and exemplify the commitment that law enforcement officers make every day to protect and preserve life.”
Bennett also thanked the King County Sheriff’s Office for recognizing the officers’ efforts and for the partnership between the agencies.