Patrol Lieutenant

Department of Fish and Wildlife

7/24/2013

Special Act Award (Gold)

On July 24, 2013, at approximately 7:45 p.m., Patrol Lieutenant Carmelo A. Spada was off duty in Chowchilla, riding his mountain bike under the Highway 99 Bridge, when a woman came running out screaming, “My baby was swept away, help me!” Lt. Spada immediately dropped his bike and dove into the swift water. He swam downstream and spotted the two little girls in the water, hanging onto a tree branch. He swam to them, but realized he couldn’t rescue both at the same time. He decided to take the smallest girl first. He placed her arms around his neck, swam to the opposite side of the slough, and placed her in a safe spot out of the water. He then ran back upstream, reentered the water, and swam downstream until he reached the second girl. Lt. Spada helped her untangle herself from the tree branches, placed her arms around his neck, and swam her to safety too. The Chowchilla Police department had responded to the scene for a possible drowning or swift water rescue, so Lt. Spada turned the girls and their mother over them. The girls were treated for hypothermia and shock and released back to their mother.