| Name: | Charles Thornton |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Chicago Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | Career |
| Rank: | Firefighter |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2009 |
| Incident City: | Chicago |
| Year of Incident: | 2007 |
| Incident Location Type: | Water/Waterfront |
| Incident Attribute: |
Paremedic Robert Greer of the Chicago Fire Department was awarded the Medal of Valor for his efforts to rescue a man who fell into icy waters at Montrose Harbor in Chicago, Illinois on December 28, 2007.
On the morning of December 28th, snow fell upon the city of Chicago. Acting Snow Supervisor Melvin D. Loftus was patrolling Lake Shore Drive when two joggers waved him down. They alerted Loftus that a male victim had suffered a seizure and fell into the frigid waters of Montrose Harbor. Truck 22, Engine 83, and Ambulance 11 were dispatched to the scene. A ladder was dropped into the water, and the victim was pulled out using rapid intervention straps. Once out of the water, paramedics, including Paramedic Greer, cut off the victim’s clothing, applied heat packs, and covered him in a warm blanket. They were able to stabilize the victim and ward off the effects of hypothermia.
Citation:
Journal of the Proceedings of the City Council of the City of Chicago, Illinois, February 6, 2008.