Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy honored an Alaska resident and State Trooper for their part in saving the lives of one boy near the dipnetting beach at Kenai.
At the ceremony Wednesday, October 13th, Governor Dunleavy presented Antoine Aridou with a Governor’s Commendation. Col. Doug Massie, the Wildlife Trooper Division Director, recognized Trooper Laura Reid for her action with a life-saving award.
On July 29, at 11 pm, on the North Beach during the Kenai River dipnet fishery, Alaska Wildlife Trooper Laura Reid noticed a 12-year-old boy being swept down the Kenai River toward the ocean.
Reid ran into the water to the child whose waders were causing him to sink.
Trooper Reid secured the child, but she could not walk out of the strong river current with him.
Most of the dipnetters had their backs to the shore because the fishery had closed for the day, except dipnetter Antoine Aridou.
He acted quickly pushing a long dipnet and pole into the water for the Trooper to grab hold of, helping her and the child to shore.