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The
highest lifeguard award presented by USLA is the Medal of Valor.
The primary purpose for creating this award is to give due recognition
to an individual lifeguard who voluntarily risked their life,
to an extraordinary degree, in saving, or attempting to save another
person, or who sacrificed themselves for the benefit of others.
USLA also extends the Heroic Act Award to non-lifeguards.
2010 Medal of Valor Recipients:
Jon Vipond - Lifeguard Sergeant, San Diego
Mark Feighan - Lifeguard II, San Diego
Peter Liebig - Lifeguard II, San Diego
Daryl McDonald - Lifeguard III, San Diego
On November 28, 2009, a 29' sportsfishing vessel capsized in 20 foot waves at the mouth of Mission Bay channel after one of its propellers became wrapped in fishing line. Six passengers were stranded in the 62 degree water, desperately treading water to stay afloat. Lifeguards McDonald and Feighan were the first to respond aboard Rescue 6. McDonald swam to passenger Steven Stanford, just as he was about to go under, and stayed with Stanford until Rescue 6 could pick him up. Lifeguards Vipond and Liebig, who had paddled out were picked up by Feighan. Vipond and Liebig dove off the boat and swam to passengers Rob Stanford and Bo Palmer and moved them away from the overturned hull, then to Rescue 6. The last two passengers, who had made their way to the jetty and were being pounded by the high waves, were rescued by Liebig and Vipond on rescue boards and steered to shore. 5 passengers sustained minor injuries and 1 required an overnight hospital stay. The four lifeguards were not injured during this dangerous ocean rescue.
Matt Blackford - Lifeguard, Newport Beach
Greg Meyer - Lifeguard, Newport Beach
On July 24, 2009, the dangerous Wedge in Newport Beach drew a crowd of 300 people to watch surfers battle 25 ft. wave sets. One such set slammed a bodysurfer into the rocks and trapped him. Lifeguards Blackford and Meyer, with citizen Sean Starky, jumped into the churning water to rescue the surfer, pulling him onto the waiting lifeguard boat. Unfortunately, the trapped surfer drowned. His family issued a statement thanking the 3 rescuers for their heroic effort. Citizen Starky was given the Heroic Act Award.
CSLSA Lifeguard
Medal of Valor
Recipients from California agencies
| Albers,
Bob |
1999 |
San
Diego, CA |
| Bartlett,
Mike |
2005 |
Huntington Beach, CA. |
| Beuerlein,
Mike |
1989 |
Huntington
Beach, CA |
| Blackford,
Matt |
2010 |
Newport
Beach, CA |
| Borland,
Tim |
2003 |
Port San Luis Harbor District, CA |
| Carter, David |
1991 |
Cal State Parks (Russian River District) |
| Cicchetto,
Sean |
1996 |
San
Diego, CA |
| Coats,
Eric |
2006 |
Cal State Parks (Lake Perris) |
| Corbo,
Christian |
1998 |
Laguna
Beach, CA |
| Culp,
Casey |
1998 |
California
State Parks, CA |
| Feighan,
Mark |
2010 |
San Diego, CA |
| Fellars,
Timothy B. |
2009 |
California
State Parks, CA |
| Fesler,
Jeff |
2003 |
Port San Luis Harbor District, CA |
| Gitelson,
Joel |
2006 |
Los Angeles County, CA |
| Grigsby,
Scott |
1994 |
Los
Angeles County, CA |
| Griguoli,
Rich |
2003 |
California State Parks, CA |
| Harris,
Ed |
1999 |
San
Diego, CA |
| Horn,
Brit |
2005 |
Sonoma Coast State Beach, CA |
| Keulana,
Brian |
1996 |
Honolulu,
HI |
| Korber, Paul |
1998 |
Ventura County, CA
(posthumous to rescue effort) |
| Larsen,
Billy |
2003 |
Pismo Beach, CA |
| Liebig,
Peter |
2010 |
San Diego, CA |
| McDonald,
Daryl |
2010 |
San Diego, CA |
| Meyer,
Greg |
2010 |
Newport Beach, CA |
| Milligan,
Joe |
1989 |
California
State Parks, CA |
| Murphy,
Timothy |
1996 |
California
State Parks, CA |
| Nothhelfer,
James W. |
2009 |
California
State Parks, CA |
| Panis,
Marc |
1989 |
Huntington
Beach, CA |
| Pepper,
Laine |
1999 |
San
Diego, CA |
| Quigley,
Patrick |
1998 |
Laguna
Beach, CA |
| Quigley,
Patrick |
1999 |
San
Diego, CA
(this is his second award)
|
| Raines,
Dave |
1999 |
San
Diego, CA
|
| Snow,
Kevin |
1998 |
Laguna
Beach, CA |
| Sproull,
Mark |
1998 |
Laguna
Beach, CA |
| Stephenson,
Michael |
1996 |
California
State Parks, CA |
| Straub,
Don |
1991 |
Cal State Parks (Russian River District) |
| Tegland,
Ormand |
1998 |
Laguna
Beach, CA |
| Trager,
Tom |
1998 |
Laguna
Beach, CA |
| Vipond,
Jon |
2010 |
San Diego, CA |
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