On Friday, January 5th , four local children were given Life Savings Awards from the Yakima Police Department at Cottonwood Elementary School in West Valley. The children were honored for their heroic efforts to help a friend who had suffered a severe injury in a creek near the West Valley Park in September of 2017. The children’s efforts in all likelihood saved the life of 11-year-old Amanda Longee, who fell and had a piece of wood puncture her chest. The children called 9-1-1 and directed Yakima Police to the spot where Amanda was located so first responders could get to her. “Heroes come in all different sizes and these children knew exactly what to do,” says Sergeant Ritchie Fowler, who the first officer to respond to the emergency. The children honored were brothers Liam and Lane Wyatt, Olivia Lochridge and Tommy Simmons. Amanda was taken to a local hospital and then was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. She is now back with her family in Yakima. Yakima Police Captain Gary Jones, Lt. Linda Watts and Sergeant Fowler were on hand for the presentation.
