Five members of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office were recognized Wednesday with Life Saving Awards, and the stories behind the honors cover everything from a backyard pool to a boat ramp off our local waters. Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman presented the awards to Deputies Michael and Christopher Wieczorek, Sgt. Sarah Sanchez, Deputy Holly Forrester, and Sgt. Dale Ellis.
The rescues happened in very different settings. The Wieczorek brothers worked together to revive a person found face down in a pool. Sgt. Sanchez was off duty at a restaurant when she cleared a choking man’s airway. Deputy Forrester revived an unresponsive 3-year-old drowning victim, and Sgt. Ellis rescued a 3-year-old from a truck that was sinking into the water at a boat ramp.
Hoffman praised the group’s training and awareness, noting that several of these moments happened when the deputies weren’t even on the clock. For families across the Suncoast, where pools, bays, and boat ramps are part of everyday life, the message lands close to home: knowing CPR and staying alert around water can make all the difference.
Do you know CPR, or have you been meaning to learn? Tell us in the comments.
