Caltrans Equipment Operator II

Department of Transportation

12/28/2016

Special Service Award (Silver)

Around midnight on December 28, 2016, a vehicle traveling on Hwy 50 left the roadway, became air-born and landed upside down quite a distance off the highway in the American River. In the vehicle was a family of four. Caltrans Equipment Operator II Steve Rhine had just gotten off duty from the Kyburz Maintenance Yard and was heading home when he noticed a group of vehicles parked off the roadway along with several people on the shoulder of the road. He turned his vehicle around to determine what had happened and to see if he could help. It was then that on-lookers told him there was a car on its roof in the river and they believed there were people trapped inside. Mr. Rhine climbed down over the snowy, icy rocks and boulders and reached the upturned car. Mr. Rhine then attempted to rescue an adult male who was in the driver’s seat of the car. He was unable to free the man even with assistance from another rescuer. It was then they determined that the only option was to right the car in the water. Mr. Rhine and three other men were able to turn the car over, and free the driver. He then shined his flashlight into the car looking for any additional occupants and discovered a boy seat belted in the backseat underwater. Mr. Rhine worked valiantly trying to free the boy from the backseat and seatbelt, diving into the river multiple times trying to free the boy, until a swift water rescue person arrived and cut the boy free. Mr. Rhine and Caltrans Equipment Operator II Matthew McCarter took the boy to the river bank where CPR was started by Caltrans Maintenance Supervisor Shawn Morgan and a rescue person. All victims were taken to the hospital but the boy did not survive. The night this happened, although it wasn’t snowing at the time, there was an accumulation of snow on the ground and the temperature was in the 20’s. With no regard for his own safety, Mr. Rhine’s heroic service saved three lives. The State of California takes great pride in presenting this Silver Medal of Valor to Caltrans Equipment Operator II Steven Rhine.