Iowa Police Officers Honored for Stopping Suicide Attempt

The Burlington City Council on Tuesday recognized local police officers who saved a person from the Mississippi River following a suicide attempt.

Burlington police officers Josh Tripp, Melissa Smith, Logan Boltz and Sgt. John Stirn were awarded the medal of valor, the highest honor for members of the Burlington Police Department, after they rescued a woman who was trying to end her own life.

"Seeing the officers do an outstanding job, the city of Burlington is in your debt," Burlington Mayor Jon Billups said after giving the officers their award during the city council meeting.

Responding to mental health calls is a routine part of being a police officer. What made the situation unique is that officers had to put their own lives in danger by entering the Mississippi River wearing life jackets to save the woman's life. It had been deemed that using a boat to rescue the woman would have been unsafe.

The officers entered water that was 6 feet deep and had very little visibility as they worked to rescue the woman.

"Selfless actions are why the city flourishes," Major Jeff Klein said before awarding the medals.

The city council also proclaimed this month National Recovery Month in honor of the work done by those in the community to help people with mental illness recover, which Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services says is possible.

"Managing the effects of these conditions helps individuals achieve healthy lifestyles, both physically and emotionally," the proclamation reads.

Recovery month was put on by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration until 2020, when its nonprofit partner, Voices and Faces of Recovery, took over the event. This year's theme is focused on the fact that everyone can recover from mental illness.

Sadly, suicide calls are not unheard-of occurrences in Burlington. Between 2015 and 2019, the Burlington Police Department saw an annual average of seven attempted suicide calls and seven other mental health calls that were recorded as calls for service.

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