North Tonawanda, N.Y. (WBEN) - Heroic efforts by four law enforcement officers earned the quartet special honors from North Tonawanda City Council.
"We think this is well-deserved," said Mayor Austin Tylec.
North Tonawanda Lt. Erik Herbert, Officer Mary Ellen Parish, K9 Officer Jeffrey Kam and William Ginnick - an off-duty Buffalo State University officer - all responded to a June 12 accident that saw a 15-year-old male student, who was on an electric motor scooter hit by a vehicle at the intersection of Nash Road and Meadow Drive.
The accident was reported at 2:39 p.m.
Police dispatch reported the boy was unconscious but still breathing.
Parish, who was working as a school resource officer at nearby North Tonawanda Middle School heard the dispatch and immediately raced to the accident scene. She arrived less than three minutes after the call was made.
Herbert, who just left North Tonawanda High School, arrived one minute after Parish.
They began immediate medical attention including applying a tourniquet to the victim's arm, which was bleeding profusely.
A second tourniquet was applied to help slow the bleeding.
"The child is alive and recovering thanks to their efforts," Tylec said.
Kam and Ginnick then arrived and assisted until the victim was taken, by ambulance, to Golisano Children's Hospital in the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
The victim is making a complete recovery including regaining full use of his arm, Tylec said.
"When you hear a story like this, you do want to praise everyone involved," Tylec said.
The officers came to the aid of an injured teenager
The officers came to the aid of an injured teenager
