Lincoln Man Receives Carnegie Medal For Act of Heroism In Rescuing Driver From Pond

The Carnegie Medal. (Courtesy of the Carnegie Honors Foundation).

LINCOLN–(KFOR Sept. 26)–The man who rescued a driver from a pickup truck that ended up in a southeast Lincoln residential pond a year ago is now being honored with the Carnegie Medal, which honors people throughout the United States and Canada that risk themselves to save the lives of others.

In a news release sent to KFOR, the The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission announced that 35-year-old Jordan Kurtzer of Lincoln is one of the recipients of Carnegie Medal, which is considered North America’s highest civilian honor for heroism.

Kurtzer rescued a 49-year-old man from the truck that ended up being submerged about seven feet in the pond in the area east of 70th and Badger Road back on September 3, 2022. The man had apparently suffered a medical episode and went off the road and into the pond. Kurtzer and another motorist used a tire iron to break out the back windshield, and Kurtzer reached through to open the rear door to save the victim.

Finding two child-sized life jackets, Kurtzer and the other motorist placed them around the man’s arm and floated him out of the truck to safety. Lincoln Police Officer Tu Tran also showed up to the scene and helped both men get the victim to a rescue unit.