From left, Hero Fund President Eric Zahren presented the posthumous Carnegie Medal for Ricky Lee Sneve to his mother, Nicole Eufers, and father, Chad Sneve, at a ceremony on July 23, 2022, at the Hudson Community Center in Hudson, S.D. Ricky Lee, 10, drowned while rescuing his 5-year-old sister, Chevelle, after she struggled in the Big Sioux River in Hudson on June 12, 2021.
“In honoring someone so young, we hope to add some comfort – while knowing full well that it cannot replace a lost loved one or fill the hole that is created by their loss,” Zahren said during the presentation. “In Ricky Lee’s case, he started our healing process himself by providing hope through his selfless sacrifice, but the faith part is up to us.”