Warden

Department of Fish and Wildlife

7/27/2016

Special Service Award (Silver)

On July 27, 2016, at 12:00 p.m., Fish and Wildlife Officer Michael Dilts was on patrol near the San Gabriel River in Seal Beach when he was flagged down by a man and child. The man told Officer Dilts that a woman had just driven her vehicle into the water and was drowning. Officer Dilts drove his patrol vehicle to the west bank of the river where he observed a purple van floating in the water approximately 25 yards from the shore with a woman in the front seating area. The van was semi–submerged, with all of the windows above the surface. The woman shouted, “Go away, I don’t want to be saved!” Two men entered the water and began swimming towards the van. Officer Dilts radioed for assistance, and, anticipating the need to enter the water, he removed his duty belt and secured it in his vehicle. When he turned back around he found the two men had reached the van, which was now submerged to the point that only the rear trunk of the vehicle was above the surface. Officer Dilts entered the water in full uniform, boots and bullet-proof vest, and swam to the van. The woman was now in the trunk area of the van. Upon reaching the victim, Officer Dilts performed an “active drowning victim rescue,” by reaching under the victim’s armpits and grasping her shoulders. With the assistance of one of the other men, he then pulled her away from the sinking van. When they were 10 yards away, the van sank completely. Officer Dilts and the two civilians, at great personal risk to themselves, saved the victim’s life and prevented her from drowning. Although unwilling, the victim was safely removed from the vehicle and assisted to shore.