FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - The Sheriff’s Foundation of Broward County showed their appreciation for their first responders at a ceremony, Tuesday, and they made sure to honor one very deserving deputy.
The Sheriff’s Foundation hosted the Sheriff’s Briefing and Awards Ceremony at the Broward Sheriff’s Office headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, located at 2601 W. Broward Blvd., Tuesday, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
At this year’s ceremony, 45-year-old BSO deputy Vincent Graham, who jumped into a lake to rescue a toddler and her great-grandmother from drowning, was was named “Detention Deputy Of The Year.”
According to police, Graham was sitting inside his home before his shift started when he heard cries for help outside. When he rushed outside, he saw an elderly woman struggling to keep a toddler afloat in a neaby lake.
“By the time I got there, they both were under,” Vincent said, “and the baby’s eyes start rolling behind her head, so I grabbed her first, handed her up. and then I was able to pull the great-grandmother up to bank.”
Both were taken to a nearby hospital and deemed OK. They were grateful for their helpful neighbor. “That’s the joy of it, to know the Lord used me as a tool to save to lives,” Vincent said.
In the audience, as he received his award, were the child and great-grandmother he rescued.
Meanwhile, the foundation’s award for BSO Civilian of the Year went to Angela Mize, who is in charge of the regional 911 system.
The foundation presented her with a $1,000 check, which she in turn donated to the BSO Explorers program for teenagers and young adults.
Furthermore, through donations, the Sheriff’s Foundation announced at the ceremony, they will be donating 40 night-vision goggles to the Broward Sheriff’s Office for use by the SWAT team.
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