J 255: Commending Brandon Gruttemeyer upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate

 Senate Resolution No. 255 BY: Senator WEBER COMMENDING Brandon Gruttemeyer upon the occasion of his 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 Brandon Gruttemeyer upon the occasion of his 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 the night of Thursday, August 1, 2024, suddenly and inexplicably, Brandon Gruttemeyer's coworker, who does not know how to swim, dove into the water, rising to the surface immediately in need of assistance; another fellow employee, Eric VanAuken, who was already in the water, was not able to help the victim on his own due to his thrashing and size; and WHEREAS, Upon being notified of the emergency, this selfless Lake George Club sailing instructor, Brandon Gruttemeyer, immediately leapt into action to find a flashlight; he rushed back to the scene, and was able to locate the struggling individual who was found under approximately 10-12 feet of water; and WHEREAS, Brandon Gruttemeyer and Eric VanAuken were able to pull the individual in need from the water, and began administering CPR compressions as well as mouth-to-mouth maneuvers; and WHEREAS, Emergency medical service professionals arrived at the scene and were able to get the victim to a point of stabilized breathing with a strong pulse; and WHEREAS, Once at Glens Falls Hospital, the condition of the victim began decreasing and destabilizing rapidly, causing the immediate transfer of the individual to Albany Medical Center where an expert team of specially trained healthcare professionals utilized equipment known as an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine; this decision was paramount to ensuring the individual's opportunity for recovery; and WHEREAS, The victim showed signs of great improvement over the following days of the incident, sitting up, smiling, and responding to his father's voice; the likes of which were able to occur due to the swift and lifesaving efforts of Brandon Gruttemeyer that night; and WHEREAS, A truly brave and courageous man, Brandon Gruttemeyer played a vital role in this extraordinary rescue effort, and should be praised by the people of this great Empire State for his astute actions in working to preserve the life of another; and WHEREAS, Brandon Gruttemeyer, in his spontaneous and heroic act, has so aptly demonstrated his character and compassion for the welfare of others, personifying, by virtue of his action, the collective concern of ordinary citizens across the community of New York State who voluntarily respond without thought of danger or reward when others are in need of help; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commend Brandon Gruttemeyer upon the occasion of his 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 Brandon Gruttemeyer.