AUMSVILLE, Ore. -- A 13-year-old girl was honored with a special award for helping save a drowning woman's life last month.
The Aumsville Fire District awarded Katie Pynch for calling 9-1-1 in the life-or-death situation.
Pynch was walking to a local park on Dec. 19 when she spotted Michelle Laseter trapped in a logjam. The woman had gone into the creek to try and rescue her dog, after the animal was swept downstream and pinned to a pile of debris. But the swift current in Mill Creek quickly overcame Laseter as well and she could not free herself.
Division Chief Corey Morrill says Laseter was up to her chest in fast-moving water and probably wouldn't have survived if Pynch didn't hear her calls for help. Emergency crews quickly arrived and rescued Laseter. The dog managed to get out safely on its own.
Pynch will receive the award Tuesday night at the Aumsville Fire Station.
