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Released by: Sergeant William Bailey
Occurred: December 06, 2017
NARRATIVE:
On December 6, 2017 two members of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, along with a Sunriver Police Officer, were presented with a Life Saving Award for their actions during the early morning hours of June 27, 2017. Sgt. Doug Sullivan, Deputy Ben Bartness and Sunriver Police Officer Michael Womer were presented their award during the Oregon State Sheriff's Associations (OSSA) Annual Conference in Bend this week. Lt. Mark Eggert with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office submitted the following facts to the OSSA Awards Committee for consideration:
"On June 27th at approximately 0555 hours, Sgt. Sullivan, Deputy Bartness (DCSO) and Officer Womer (Sunriver Police Department) responded to the Deschutes River near La Pine. A home owner reported seeing a deceased male body floating down stream with the swift current of the river. The home owner lost sight of the body after it moved quickly past his property. As deputies arrived near this location, a woman ran to a responding deputy's car and reported that her 80 year old mother (with significant medical conditions) had walked away from home during the early morning and had been missing for over two hours. The deputy relayed this information with new concern the body seen was the elderly woman.
Officer Womer went to the home of a citizen in this area and utilized their small motorized boat to begin what was believed to be a recovery attempt. Officer Womer navigated the boat upriver and located the body of the missing 80 year old woman. The swift current of the river pushed her body against a sunken tree with exposed branches. Officer Womer picked up Sgt. Sullivan and Deputy Bartness from a nearby boat ramp. They removed their ballistic vests; the boat did not have any floatation devices onboard. Officer Womer piloted the boat to the tangle of limbs and close to the body. They immediately noticed that she was alive and was completely submerged with only her mouth slightly above the cold, rushing water. Concerned that at any moment she could sink or be pushed under the fray of limbs by the fast current; Sgt. Sullivan and Deputy Bartness pulled her body in the boat while Officer Womer held the boat steady. With the woman now on board, they immediately went to a nearby private dock and assessed her condition. With hypothermia being an obvious threat, they covered her in blankets to suppress the possible damage from the cold water temperature. Because of these law enforcement professionals, Paramedics were able to transport her to the hospital, where she survived her injuries.
Sheriff L. Shane Nelson said the following, "I am incredibly proud to work with Sgt. Sullivan, Deputy Bartness and Officer Womer. Their quick thinking and heroic actions that day undoubtedly saved her life."
(Pictured from L to R: Sheriff L. Shane Nelson DCSO, Sgt. Doug Sullivan DCSO, Deputy Ben Bartness DCSO, Sgt. Mike Womer SRPD, Capt. Cory Darling BPD/SRPD)