18 named Carnegie heroes for acts of extraordinary heroism
PITTSBURGH, December 18, 2018—Eighteen people – 16 Americans and two Canadians – were recently named Carnegie heroes for risking their lives for others in life-threatening situations, including seven children trapped in burning homes, burning cars, or in danger of drowning; two police officers assaulted while struggling to take men into custody; and a barista who was being threatened with a hunting knife.
Two of the eighteen heroes were teenagers, and three others gave their lives while attempting to save their fellow humans, including Bruce Maynor, Jr., who attempted to save a 10-year-old boy from drowning, Donald Michael Boles, who attempted to rescue his son-in-law and granddaughter from drowning, and Frank Williams, Jr., who helped save a stranger who was inside a car driven into a canal.
The Carnegie Medal is given throughout the U.S. and Canada to those who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others. With this final announcement of 2018 recipients, a total of 10,062 Carnegie Medals have been awarded since the Pittsburgh-based Fund’s inception in 1904. Commission Chair Mark Laskow said each of the awardees or their survivors will also receive a financial grant. Throughout the more than 114 years since the Fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, $40.5 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance.
The awardees are:
- Brent Rudy Edwards, Philadelphia
- Marcus L. Eliason, Flagstaff, Ariz.
- Bruce Maynor, Jr., deceased, Thomasville, Ga.
- Donald Michael Boles, deceased, Eagle Springs, N.C.
- John Thomas Prokop, Duncan, B.C.
- Frank Williams, Jr., deceased, New Orleans
- Eugene Stamsta, Oconto, Wis.
- David Duncan, Hyannis, Mass.
- Cregg Jerri, Fresno, Calif.
- Jennifer Lynn Dixon, Middletown, Pa.
- Aaron Andrew Young, Middletown, Pa.
- Joshua Stewart Wright, Dahlonega, Ga.
- Jay Ross Muxworthy, Carolina Beach, N.C.
- Samantha Olive Barnhouse, Antioch, Calif.
- Svetlana S. Reut, Loganville, Ga.
- Mark Oscar Tuura, New Westminster, B.C.
- Eric Martin, Ohiopyle, Pa.
- Patrick Nolan McCarty, Ohiopyle, Pa.
Resumes of the acts follow. To nominate someone for the Carnegie Medal, complete a nomination form online, write the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission at 436 Seventh Ave., Suite 1101, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, or call 1-800-447-8900 (toll-free). More information on the Carnegie Medal and the history of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission can be found at carnegiehero.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.