Another round of applause for these officers

The annual dinner and awards ceremony sponsored by the Lake County Blue Coats always helps to provide powerful reminders about the courageous action and quick thinking demonstrated by area law-enforcement officers and firefighters. ¶ This year’s Blue Coats gathering continued that tradition, by bestowing honors upon two Painesville Police Department officers who saved a 4-year-old boy from drowning.

Lake County Blue Coats presented the Jorge Medina Distinguished Service Award to Painesville police Sgt. Matt Tycast and Officer Dan Thompson.

The award, named after the Blue Coats’ first president, is given to a select few who exemplify all that first responders do to keep people safe. Winners are selected by the organization’s Board of Trustees, based on submitted nominations.

Last June, Tycast and Thompson responded to a report of a missing 4-year-old child.

The two searched for the child for hours before receiving a call of a possible body floating in the Recreation Park pond. Rushing to the scene, they observed air bubbles coming from beneath the water and saw the silhouette of a body floating beneath pond debris.

“From there we didn’t have a choice, we went in there and got him,” Tycast recalled. “We took him to shore, I cleared his airway before Officer Thompson began performing CPR. I monitored his airway and when he began breathing, we rolled him over to recovery position where he began to expel water.”

The officers continued to monitor the child’s breathing and stayed with him until the city Fire Department arrived. The young boy would survive this close call, thanks to their efforts.

Jason Wuliger, president of Lake County Blue Coats, said he was honored to recognize

Tycast and Thompson for their acts of bravery.

“The truth is that our first responders are all heroes, and what they do day to day is deserving of recognition,” Wuliger said. “The winners of the Jorge Medina Distinguished Service Award are selected because they go above and beyond even that day-to-day heroism.”

Thompson said he and Tycast needed to act quickly, after spotting the boy in the water.

“There wasn’t time to really think in that situation — you see what you need to do and you do it,” Thompson said. “This is why we do the job, to save people in moments like that. If this only happens once in my career, I’ll be very happy because the circumstances were potentially tragic. But that’s why I became a police officer, is moments like that.”

Tycast talked more about the challenge that he and Thompson faced.

“We went on that call and that’s the last call you ever want to go on, but Thompson had no hesitation, he went in that water with me,” Tycast said. “We went in there not knowing because we had to, it’s what any officer would have done.”

Doreen Davis, executive secretary for Blue Coats, said both officers displayed humility when nominated and in accepting their awards .

“I’m honored to be able to help out with this organization,” she said. “The men and women who help keep us safe deserve to be recognized and taken care of.”

The Lake County Blue Coats, founded in 1968, serve to support all first responders and safety service members of Lake County, whether it be providing benefits to the families of a responder who died in the line of duty or offering competitive college scholarships to children of first responders.

Looking back on this year’s awards, The News-Herald wants to take one more opportunity to salute Thompson and Tycast for the bravery, professionalism and sound decisionmaking that they exhibited on the call that earned them a prestigious award. The recognition of these two officers is well-deserved.

The Lake County Blue Coats, founded in 1968, serve to support all first responders and safety service members of Lake County ...