HENDERSON COUNTY, Texas — A Henderson County deputy has been honored as a hero for her life-saving actions in May.
Deputy Ashley Reed was at Tom Finely Park in Gun Barrel City on May 29, when she spotted a woman having a medical emergency in the water. Witnesses say victim was face down in the water, about 10 feet from shore.
Sheriff Botie Hillhouse says she was apparently suffering from a seizure when Deputy Reed raced to her.
Despite having a broken wrist from an on-the-job incident, Deputy Reed swam to the woman, wrapped her arms around her and pulled her to shore.
Once on land, Dep. Reed’s speedy actions allowed the woman to vomit water and begin breathing again
“Deputy Reed has what this job demands – quick thinking, quick acting, and rightly putting a citizen’s needs above her own,” Sheriff Hillhouse said. "A life was saved by a public servant willing to risk it all for a citizen."
Deputy Reed was presented a plaque from the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, a life-saving pin from the Henderson County Fire Chief’s Association, and a Certificate of Accommodation from the Gun Barrel City Fire Department during a ceremony Tuesday evening.
