PUTNAM COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD MEMBER RECEIVES MEDAL OF VALOR AT WHITE HOUSE

PUTNAM COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD MEMBER RECEIVES MEDAL OF VALOR AT WHITE HOUSE

EMT Sean Ochsenbein received the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor from President Trump, For His Part In Saving Carter County Crash Victim From Burning Wreckage

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, at a ceremony held at The White House, President Donald Trump presented Putnam County Rescue Squad member Sean Ochsenbein with the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, the highest honor of its kind.

Ochsenbein, who was returning from a ski trip with his fiancé, along with an off-duty North Carolina sheriff’s lieutenant, came upon the fiery crash in Carter County, TN, in February of 2016 and were able to rescue the 33 year old victim trapped in the wreckage. As the vehicles began to become engulfed in flames, they had to think quickly, and work together, to use a towing strap from Ochsenbein’s vehicle to pull the door free from the vehicle and rescue the victim.

Today, Ochsenbein was one of 12 recipients of the Medal of Valor, at a ceremony held at The White House. Putnam County Rescue Squad Assistant Chief David Anderson accompanied Ochsenbein at The White House, and was proud to see such a dedicated member receive the highest honor bestowed upon a public safety officer.

Ochsenbein has served with the Putnam County Rescue Squad since 2007, and is a respected member of the department. He has served in the first responder program, rope rescue team, swiftwater rescue team, and as a vehicle extrication technician.

“We are all so proud of Sean, and happy to see him receive recognition for his actions.” Anderson stated. “Sean is one of the most incredible men you will ever meet, and we all know he didn’t think twice about going to work when he saw the crash.”

For more information, view the full awards ceremony here:

https://youtu.be/jkZz57CpliA

Ochsenbein is the second recipient in the sequence of medals, and occurs at 12:50 in the video.