A Marin County sheriff's deputy has received the Medal of Valor from the California State Sheriffs' Association for a rescue during a storm in February 2025.
The rescue
KTVU reported that a woman driving to work around 5 a.m. was swept off Platform Bridge Road, between Point Reyes Station and Nicasio, into the flooded Lagunitas Creek. Water was pouring into her small SUV. "When I first got there, there was very little of the car showing," said Deputy Michael Dawson, a 20-year veteran of the department. He broke the back window with his baton and helped her squeeze out while the current pushed the car.
"She had a very little pocket of air," Dawson told KTVU. "I knew that time was of the essence to get her out."
The driver told ABC7 in a statement that Dawson saved her life. "I'm happy they are honoring him. He deserves it," she said. Dawson told ABC7, "I was literally just kind of doing my job."
A storm-season reminder
The award comes as Marin prepares for an El Niño winter. Dawson's advice to drivers, via ABC7: "Slow down and make sure that you can react to the changing conditions." Officials say never drive through standing water. Turn around instead.