On July 13, 2021, Taylor Dykstra was invited to attend a Command Staff meeting at the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office. Taylor was accompanied by her two proud parents. Taylor was being presented the Sheriff’s Lifesaving Medal for her role in saving another young person’s life on June 9, 2021.
Taylor was at one of our County parks near a swimming area when she observed a young person in distress struggling in the water before slipping below the surface. Taylor swam to where she last observed the person, dove below the surface locating the person and resurfacing with the person. The water was deeper in this area, but Taylor found footing standing on a rock on the waterway bottom allowing her to keep the person’s head above water. The person had been under the water approximately two minutes.
A vacationing Deputy from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, Florida was at the same beach swimming area, leaped into the water swimming to assist Taylor with the rescue. The Deputy, Todd Moderson, recognized the person was not breathing and proceeded to provide rescue breaths at the water surface as Todd swam the person back to shore. At the shore, the efforts of Taylor and Todd paid off when the person began to breathe, but remained unconscious. The person was transported by medical unit to a local hospital center and is recovering.
The combined heroic and selfless actions of Taylor and Todd, saved the life of another. Congratulations Taylor and Todd. (Deputy Moderson’s Lifesaving Award was mailed directly to him with copies going to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. Florida.)
Post is Courtesy of Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks' Facebook Page
