Deputy honored for rescue aid

At the end of May, then-deputy Rich Geist of the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office was off-duty driving home from Salem with his wife, when they came across a serious traffic accident. Among the first people on the scene, they found an upside-down vehicle resting partly atop a second vehicle.

Geist’s actions in helping the victims were lauded on Thursday by Sheriff Tim Svenson, who awarded him the county’s Certificate Of Merit in a ceremony held in conjunction with a county commission meeting.

Svenson said Geist had had to wait to receive the honor, because he had broken his leg while on official duty on Father’s Day, and had been recovering.

At the accident scene, Geist told his wife to call 911, then began checking on the vehicle passengers, relaying information to dispatchers about their condition, Svenson said.

The sheriff said his observations “provided much-needed information, which helped responding emergency personnel to triage the patients accordingly.” He also helped extricate a severely injured child from one of the vehicles.

In addition, Svenson said, his observations led to the arrest of the driver at fault, for driving under the influence and assault.

Geist has since been promoted to sergeant. County Commissioner Mary Starrett, acting as chair in the absence of Commissioner Allen Springer, said he was a hero in her book.