Overheard: Impulse 61

I’m a big girl. I’m a strong woman. It didn’t matter at the time. — Vickie Tillman, Carnegie Medal awardee #10000, referencing bruises she sustained while helping rescue a police officer who was being beaten by a man he was trying to arrest.

My fear was that I’d jump into the river, hit something, and not come up again. This is probably the one thing I reflect on the most; the fact that I might have been seriously injured or died jumping …Nevertheless, I jumped. — M. Ross Klun, Carnegie Medal awardee #10027

Still trying to process this; haven’t slept in a few days, so it’s something. — Ryan Scott McIlwain, Carnegie Medal awardee #10087

He was tired, he had been working all day, but he didn’t wait one minute to jump in that ocean and save my baby. — mother of boy rescued from drowning by Kenneth Raye Gooch, Jr., Carnegie Medal awardee #10090

I think about it a lot. I did take one day off of work to just reset, and take it in. — Michael Douglas Barkhouse, Carnegie Medal awardee #10107

I don’t think there was anything more I could do. I think I did everything. I don’t have any guilt. I stepped in and did everything I could to stop it. I feel good. But, I’m also just anxious now because I never thought I would have to deal with a guy wielding an ax in my front yard. — Jordan Scott Lambay, Carnegie Medal awardee #10110

He turned to me and he said, ‘I love you,’ and I told him ‘I love you too,’ and he walked into the house through a black sheet of smoke, and I knew then that he probably might not come out. — widow of David S. Turner, Sr., Carnegie Medal awardee #10124

I’m never going to forget that. I’m going to live my life as best as I can and hopefully make him proud. — woman saved by Jacob Farley, Carnegie Medal awardee #10137

My heart stopped. I felt if I didn’t do something, something bad was going to happen. — Douglas Leroy Tallman, Sr., Carnegie Medal awardee #10142

He is Vincent’s angel and a hero to all of us forever. We will forever be grateful for his courage, bravery and unselfish act. — sister of Victor Mozqueda, Carnegie Medal awardee #10146, who rescued a 5-year-old boy from drowning

I wasn’t gonna let her burn. Not while I was there. That was all that was going through my brain. — Kenneth L. Hamilton, Carnegie Medal awardee #10138

I want to offer my gratitude to everybody. Thank you for all the recognition I don’t feel I deserve. — Joshua Ryan Quick, Carnegie Medal awardee #10151