The United States Department of Homeland Security commended on July 14 the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Curtland Sawyer, who delivered lifesaving medical care to a motorist following a serious car crash near Festus, Missouri.
According to the department, Sawyer, an ICE law enforcement officer from the St. Louis Sub-Office, was driving home from duty on July 11 when he witnessed a collision between a vehicle and a tractor-trailer. He immediately provided emergency medical assistance to the injured driver by applying a tourniquet to stop life-threatening bleeding and remained at the scene until emergency medical technicians arrived.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said, “ICE law enforcement officer Curtland Sawyer immediately delivered lifesaving medical care to a driver who was involved in a serious collision with a tractor-trailer in Missouri. Officer Sawyer is a hero,” Bis continued, “Our officers are the best of the best. When they see someone in need, they don’t hesitate to spring to action to help. If you see an ICE law enforcement officer, thank them for their service to our nation.”
The department also highlighted other recent incidents involving ICE officers providing emergency aid across the country. In July, an ICE officer in Texas assisted an unconscious 14-year-old who had jumped out of a moving vehicle; local personnel transported the victim for further treatment. In June, Milwaukee-based officers rescued a woman trapped after her car was struck and flipped by another vehicle running a red light; another Florida-based officer performed CPR on an unconscious six-year-old pulled from a pool until consciousness returned.
Additional cases cited include an incident at John F. Kennedy International Airport in March where an ICE officer helped save the life of a one-year-old child experiencing respiratory distress by performing the Heimlich maneuver until breathing resumed; EMS later determined that child could safely travel. In February, off-duty agents revived an unresponsive four-year-old found drowning at a hotel swimming pool through several minutes of CPR before local police and EMS arrived.