SE North Carolina News

Raleigh, N.C. — This week, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) met with the families of North Carolinians who were awarded the Carnegie Medal, an honor bestowed by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission on “individuals in the United States and Canada who risk death or serious physical injury to an extraordinary degree saving or attempting to save the lives of others.”

Senator Budd said in a statement:

“The Carnegie Medal is inscribed with the Holy Words of John 15:13, ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ Those words perfectly describe the North Carolina citizens I met. It was nothing short of inspiring to hear their stories, hear their love for others, and their act of courage that brought them this honor. North Carolina is a special state to have produced such heroes. It was my absolute honor to spend time with them and thank them on behalf of our state.”

Below are stories of the two honorees with photos of their meeting with Senator Budd:

Daniel L. Weiss – Stokesdale, NC

Daniel L. Weiss saved a woman from burning in Greensboro, North Carolina on May 17, 2022. The woman, 29, was unconscious in her two-door coupe after an accident in which the car left a rural road and continued down an embankment for about 25 feet where it struck two trees and caught fire. Weiss, 59, facility technician, was working on a utility pole nearby and responded. He reached the driver’s door and saw the woman in the driver’s seat unconscious and slumped over the steering wheel. He reached in through the window opening and shook her in an attempt to wake her but she did not respond. Weiss felt for a pulse then noticed flames burning at the hood and spreading inside through the dashboard and air vents.

He called to his co-worker for a fire extinguisher which the man provided. Weiss emptied the extinguisher but flames at the hood continued to burn. He pulled on the handle of the driver’s door but it would not open. He then ran to the passenger side fully entered into car knelt on front passenger seat turned woman so she faced away from him from behind reached arms around front clasped hands together lifted over center console onto passenger seat flames again burned through air vents spread toward passenger side coming within foot backed through passenger door opening fell ground Two men responded carried point about 20 feet away after seeing fire envelop front seats Flames grew engulf vehicle entire cab Woman not burned taken hospital injuries sustained accident Weiss suffered minor smoke inhalation recovered.

Antwaun M Jackson – Jacksonville NC

Antwaun M Jackson died helping save two women children drowning North Topsail Beach North Carolina July 9 afternoon several relatives including women girls New River Inlet near confluence Atlantic Ocean group four location touch bottom struggling strong current helping girls use bodyboard shallow water women called help alarming relatives nearby beach Jackson production worker cousin waded first moving toward other children closer shore swam area along female cousin helped girls bodyboard women recalled moved beyond trying push behind shore cluster distressed swimmers including other men separate groups entered aid back safety wadable water All recovered without injury remained stranded rough current beyond reach responding police officers rescue disc attached rope thrown direction effect ultimately submerged resurface found rescue crews afternoon days afterward body yet recovered.

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