Six local members of law enforcement will be receiving an award for their bravery and courage during a special ceremony in Columbia on Thursday.
The South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association announced Wednesday six deputies from the Aiken County Sheriff's Office will all receive the Medal of Valor Award from the South Carolina Sheriff's Association.
There will also be five deputies from the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office and two South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers receiving the award Thursday.
The ceremony will be held at 6:45 p.m. Thursday at the Embassy Suites on Greystone in Columbia.
Those deputies from Aiken County being honored are Sgt. Daryll Kostyk, Dep. Richard Oxendine, Dep. Savanna Phillips, Dep. Brian Ruge, Dep. Sylvester Young and Dep. Ashley Meyer, according to the release.
All six of these deputies showed "tremendous bravery or courage" during an incident at Senior Village Assisted Living Facility in Warrenville on Aug. 17, 2017.
The deputies responded to the facility at 456 Lawana Drive for a structure fire and arrived before the fire department, according to a letter sent to the Sheriff's Association by Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt.
The letter states the deputies "immediately and without hesitation" entered the building and began to evacuate the residents. On the second floor of the facility, the deputies encountered heavy smoke and found an apartment engulfed in flames.
They entered the apartment "without regard to their own safety" and were able to rescue an elderly man who sustained severe burns to his legs and feet.
"These law enforcement officers did not choose to be recognized for something that they probably feel is just another day on the job," Hunt said in the letter.
Along with the Aiken County deputies, the five Fairfield County deputies being honored also rescued people from a fire on May 7, 2017.
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect our communities every day," said Chesterfield County Sheriff Jay Brooks, who serves as the Medal of Valor Committee Chairman for the Association. "We certainly do not want to diminish the risks and sacrifices that all law enforcement officers make, but we do believe the officers we have selected to receive the Medal of Valor Award this year truly deserve special recognition.”
Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile, who currently serves as president of the S.C. Sheriff's Association, said, “These men and women literally stared death in the face in an effort to serve and protect complete strangers. These types of stories are far more prevalent than we even recognize, which is what makes this such a noble profession.”
