Four Iowans Honored with Governor’s Lifesaving Awards for Acts of Extraordinary Bravery
Four Iowans who risked their own lives to save others from freezing waters and burning homes were recognized this week at the Iowa Capitol. Governor Kim Reynolds hosted the annual Governor’s Lifesaving Awards ceremony, first established in 1977 to honor citizens who take heroic action in life-threatening situations.
“Each of you demonstrated a level of bravery that most of us only hope we’re capable of,” Reynolds told the recipients and their families gathered in the Capitol rotunda. “The people we’re honoring today would never think of themselves as heroes, but we know not everyone runs toward danger.”
Kyle Peterson of Spirit Lake received a Lifesaving with Valor Award for his dramatic rescue on East Okoboji Lake this past January 5. After witnessing a UTV crash through the ice, Peterson sprinted half a mile across the frozen lake and found a couple struggling to hang on at the edge of open water. According to Iowa Public Safety Commissioner Stephen Bayens, Peterson used his jacket like a rope to pull both the woman and her husband to safety on the slick ice. He then guided them back across the lake, where first responders arrived minutes later.
Another Lifesaving with Valor Award went to Michael Edwards of Clinton, who saved his best friend during an ice-fishing trip last February. When the ice gave way beneath his friend, Edwards lunged to the ground and grabbed the end of the ice auger the man had been using. Bayens described the moments that followed as a “life-threatening tug of war,” with Edwards inching dangerously close to the edge each time he pulled. A second fisherman eventually arrived with a sled, helping lift the man from the frigid water.
John Wonio of Des Moines was also awarded Lifesaving with Valor for rescuing a woman from a burning home last December. Wonio noticed flames at his neighbor’s house, called 911, and assisted a Des Moines police officer in breaking down the front door. Inside, one resident who had recently undergone cataract surgery followed Wonio’s voice to safety. But when Wonio and the officer saw an unresponsive woman still inside, Wonio rushed into the burning structure and dragged her out. She was hospitalized for more than two weeks with smoke-related injuries before being released just before Christmas.
The Governor’s Lifesaving Award — a distinction separate from the Valor category — was presented to Meagan Murray, a New Hampton letter carrier. Last September, Murray noticed a fire in a residence along her route and realized someone was trapped inside. She forced open an exterior door, helped the 85-year-old woman escape, and stayed with her until emergency crews arrived. Bayens said that on that day, “an elderly mom was in need of a guardian angel, and Meagan fit the bill.”
Commissioner Bayens said the four honorees share a willingness to step in when it matters most. “These are remarkable individuals who provided aid when it was needed most,” he said.
