Sheriff’s Deputies Earn Life Saving Awards

Two Rutherford County Sheriff’s deputies earned Life Saving Awards for providing emergency care to a father and daughter severely injured during a boating crash June 8 on Percy Priest Lake.

Deputies Chris Beach and Brandon Lorden received the awards.

Patrol Capt. Chris Kauffman reported several bystanders applied a tow rope as a temporary tourniquet to the father’s leg.

When Beach arrived, he realized the severity of the injuries and applied a tourniquet to the father’s leg.

“The actions of the bystanders and Deputy Beach controlled the bleeding,” stabilizing the father’s injuries, Kauffman said.

Lorden applied a tourniquet to the 4-year-old daughter’s leg after she suffered an injury from a boat propeller.

“Deputy Lorden, recognizing the severe bleeding, also applied his department-issued tourniquet to the victim,” Kauffman said. “This controlled the bleeding, ultimately stabilizing the victim.”

Due to the severity of their injuries, both the father and daughter were flown by Air-Evac’s helicopter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

“We have since received reports from medical personnel that the actions taken by both deputies certainly saved the lives of both victims,” Kauffman said.

The Life Saving Medical is presented to a deputy who employs exceptional tactics and exercises sound judgment to preserve the life of another during a volatile or dangerous situation.

Photo: Rutherford County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Lorden, left, earned the Life Saving Award for treating a 4-year-old girl severely injured in a boating accident. Presenting the award is Patrol Lt. Derek Oeser.

Photo: Sgt. Nick Coble, left, presents the Life Saving Award to Rutherford County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Beach, who saved the life of a critically injured father in a boating accident.