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Storey County sheriff awards life‑saving medals to three deputies after June house fire rescue
Summary
Sheriff Collin presented life‑saving medals to Deputies Matt O’Brien, Matt Bousquet (Bousquet) and Sergeant Joe Welch at the Sept. 16 Storey County commission meeting for their June 30, 2025 rescue of multiple residents from a burning home in Gold Hill.
Sheriff Collin presented life‑saving medals Sept. 16 to three Storey County deputies who entered a burning house on June 30 and rescued multiple occupants, including an amputee confined to a wheelchair, county officials said.
At the county commissioners meeting in Virginia City, Sheriff Collin described the incident at the Lynch House, 1669 Main Street in Gold Hill, saying the home was an older Victorian structure with narrow hallways and staircases and “filled with flames and smoke, rapidly billowing up.” He told the commissioners that Deputy Matt Bousquet, who was off duty and driving home, pulled his personal truck to the side of the road, ran into the residence and located occupants in immediate danger, including a wheelchair‑bound resident. Deputies Matt O’Brien and Sergeant Joe Welch joined and worked together to remove two elderly occupants (both on oxygen) and the wheelchair‑bound resident through tight, cluttered spaces just before conditions deteriorated further.
“Deputies Bousquet, O’Brien and Sergeant Joe Welch showed extreme bravery and courage by entering a residence that was on fire and engulfed in smoke without hesitation, [and] removed the occupants that were in distress,” Sheriff Collin said. He added their actions “undoubtedly saved the lives of the two residents” and that all three rescuers and the rescued individuals required treatment for smoke inhalation outside the structure. The sheriff awarded each deputy a life‑saving medal and presented a pin that may be worn on the uniform.
No formal motion was required for the presentation; the commissioners acknowledged the sheriffs’ remarks and thanked the deputies. The county’s public record in the meeting transcript identifies the recipients as Deputies Matt O’Brien and Matt Bousquet and Sergeant Joe Welch and lists the incident location as 1669 Main Street, Gold Hill, Nevada; staff said the rescue took place on June 30, 2025.
Why it matters: The presentation recognized a coordinated on‑scene rescue that county staff say directly saved residents’ lives and underscores the role of both on‑duty and off‑duty deputies in emergency response in rural and historic neighborhood settings.
What’s next: The presentation was ceremonial; no further board action was recorded related to the incident at the Sept. 16 meeting.
