In Omaha this morning Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts presented Carnegie Medals to four Omaha men for their acts of herosim.
In February, 2016 Brett Bailes, Dennis Wilson and Chris Holbeck jumped in and saved three people from a burning car after it was struck and torn in half by a drunk driver near 52nd and Blondo.
"It's something anyone of us would have hoped anyone would have done for us,” Bailes says.
Holbeck says "we're honored to receive this medal, but we were just helping out a neighbor in need."
Wilson says "it happened and we had what it took to get it done". At the time, the three men had no idea they were rescuing their neighbors.
The fourth man who received the medal Monday morning is Omaha Police Officer Robbie Goering-Jensen. He ran into a burning house near 30th and Martin Avenue in December 2015 and crawled around until he located an elderly woman and her wheel-chair bound son and pulled them to safety.
“I was aware that the parties were disabled so that was obviously a huge motivator knowing they were going to need some assistance to get out of their safely," Goering- Jensen says. He also said he felt privileged to be able to help someone out in a time of need.
Governor Ricketts was joined by city and police personnel at police headquarters to hand out the awards.