Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Recognition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Spanish Fork honors two residents who rescued motorist from icy river
Summary
The Spanish Fork City Council and fire officials presented lifesaving awards to two residents, Preston and Stefania, who pulled a man from an overturned car submerged in the Spanish Fork River on Jan. 10, 2025. Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson and city leaders joined the recognition.
The Spanish Fork City Council and city fire officials on Tuesday recognized two residents, Preston (last name not specified) and Stefania (last name not specified), for rescuing a motorist from the Spanish Fork River after his vehicle rolled down an embankment on Jan. 10, 2025.
Chief Eddie Hales of the Spanish Fork Fire and EMS Department described the rescue at the council meeting, saying the two stopped while traveling with family, found the vehicle upside down and submerged, entered freezing water and pulled the man to safety. "These two are true heroes. They put their lives above their own to save another man's life," Hales said.
The awards presentation included a plaque and a department challenge coin for each recipient. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a Spanish Fork resident, presented certificates of recognition from Governor Spencer Cox and praised the pair for answering "when called upon." "Nobody knows when they'll be called on to do something heroic," Henderson said. "But when we show up in ways like Stephanie and Preston did, those are the most powerful ways." (Transcript uses both "Stefania" and "Stephanie"; first usage in the meeting transcript is "Stefania." The recipients' last names were not provided in the meeting record.)
At the meeting, Preston spoke briefly about the incident and the role the two played. "Because I wouldn't have done it by myself, right?" he said, thanking Stefania for her help. City leaders and family members joined the recipients at the front of the council chamber for photographs.
A council member who identified themself as living two doors down from Preston and his family described prior emergency assistance by Preston, saying, "This is who Preston is. This is who Tammy is," and noted Preston previously helped protect Papa John's employees from a threat several years earlier.
No formal council vote accompanied the recognition; the presentation and certificates were ceremonial acknowledgments of the rescue. The council and state representatives said the awards were intended to honor the bystanders' actions and highlight community service.
The incident location was described in the meeting as near Arrowhead Trail, where the vehicle rolled down an embankment into the Spanish Fork River. The meeting record indicates the rescue involved minutes spent in freezing water and that one recipient, Stefania, is a member of the Unified Fire Authority.
