J 2368: Commending Kristen Cummins upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate

 Senate Resolution No. 2368 BY: Senator WALCZYK COMMENDING Kristen Cummins upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and commend the caring concern and heroic acts of individuals who take prompt and appropriate action in emergency situations, nobly risking their own lives in an effort to preserve the life of another; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Kristen Cummins upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate; and WHEREAS, The New York State Senate Liberty Medal was established by Resolution and is awarded to individuals who have merited special commendation for exceptional, heroic, or humanitarian acts on behalf of their fellow New Yorkers; and WHEREAS, On June 6, 2026, at Lake Durant near Blue Mountain Lake, New York, Kristen Cummins was editing photos when she received a phone call; she rarely answers the phone after hours, but for some reason, she answered and on the other end was Matthew Veshia, who told her his boat had capsized and that he was stranded in the water; and WHEREAS, Matthew Veshia, who also had a fishing lure embedded under his arm making it impossible for him to swim, found himself in increasingly worse conditions as a heavy storm with strong winds was building around him; and WHEREAS, Kristen Cummins immediately grabbed two life jackets, a boat, and additional flotation devices before heading out onto the lake where she focused on finding Matthew and getting him to safety; and WHEREAS, After struggling to paddle against the powerful wind, Kristen Cummins finally reached Matthew and instructed him to hold onto her boat; she then paddled both Matthew and his capsized boat to a peninsula where they stopped for a few moments to catch their breath; and WHEREAS, Knowing that they needed to reach dry land as soon as possible, Matthew helped Kristen Cummins get her boat back into the water before climbing onto the peninsula where he then trekked through the dense woods, while Kristen paddled back to the beach safely, where they reunited; and WHEREAS, Members of the Blue Mountain Fire Department and Indian Lake Fire Department arrived and treated Matthew for the fishing lure that had been embedded in his left underarm as well as for hypothermia; and WHEREAS, In her spontaneous and heroic actions, Kristen Cummins demonstrated her character and compassion for the welfare of others, exemplifying the best qualities inherent in our citizens; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commend Kristen Cummins upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Kristen Cummins.