On February 22, 2023, Lincoln Police Sergeant Tu Tran was on duty when he heard the rescue alarm come over the police radio that a vehicle had lost control on an icy road and the vehicle was about to be fully submerged in frigid water. Realizing he was the closest officer to the call, he flipped on his lights and sirens and sped to the scene where he observed a Hyundai sedan almost fully submerged. The air temperature was 4 degrees Fahrenheit with windchill, and the water was frigid.
When Sergeant Tran arrived, he advised dispatch that he would be entering the water. After determining that he was at the closest shoreline to where the vehicle had gone in, Sergeant Tran jumped into the 8 to 10 feet deep water and swam over 30 feet to the middle of the pond where the vehicle was located.
Sergeant Tran reached into the backseat of the submerging vehicle with both hands and was able to grab onto the victim’s legs. The victim was able to grab onto Tran’s arms and he began to pull her from the submerging vehicle.
Shortly after Tran and the victim were ashore, the vehicle sank to the bottom of the pond. The victim was immediately treated by Lincoln Fire and Rescue Paramedics for hypothermia and placed into an ambulance. She was treated at a local hospital and later released. Sergeant Tran acted decisively and courageously to save the life of this individual.
Learn about all of the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor recipients