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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 13, 2006 Scouts honored for heroics By CHRIS CONRAD Mail Tribune Two Grants Pass Boy Scouts and their assistant scoutmaster will be honored Wednesday for their efforts to save a man drowning in the Rogue River. Thirteen-year-old Tyler Brown and 14-year-old Johnny Konieczny — members of Troop 122, chartered to the Knights of Columbus in Grants Pass — will receive the Heroism Award, a rare medal presented by the National Court of Honor of the Boy Scouts of America. According to the Boy Scouts’ Web site, out of more than 900,000 Scouts nationwide, 100 received the Heroism Award last year. John Konieczny, Johnny’s father and Troop 122’s assistant scoutmaster, was awarded the Medal of Merit for his actions that day. On Sept. 4, 2005, the Brown and the Konieczny families started out on a rafting trip on the Rogue River. Their customary practice is to put in at Ennis Riffle (about 15 miles downriver from Grants Pass) and take out at Argo, about a seven-mile trip. Advertisement They started at 11:15 a.m. Two miles down through the Upper Galice Chutes, they pulled over to the shore. More boats, rafts and inflatable kayaks were coming through when suddenly the group saw a small raft with a man and woman on board yelling "call 9-1-1!" Then they saw someone floating in the river with his life jacket up near his head. Konieczny, realizing the futility of calling 911 in such a situation, told the boys to take action. "My dad just said ‘Go!’," Johnny said. "We really didn’t hesitate." The boys swam 75 feet into the current to grab the man and pull him to shore. "We had already taken the lifesaving merit badge, so we knew what to do," Tyler said. "At first, I thought it was a little girl, but when we got to him we could see it was, like, a 250-pound man." They headed him toward the bank, and were joined by Konieczny and the man who was yelling for help. As soon as the man was safely out of the water, Konieczny, who also is a chief Navy corpsman, immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Moments later a woman came onto the scene who was a nurse and helped Konieczny with CPR. Some paddlers took off for the Galice Boat ramp to call 911. When the man was pulled out of the water he was purple and not breathing or moving. Konieczny suggested laying the man flat on the cooler of a large Cataraft that was also on the scene, and rowing him down to the boat ramp to save time. Konieczny and the nurse continued CPR while the raft owner rowed. When they reached the boat ramp, an emergency medical technician on scene relieved Konieczny and the nurse. Soon an ambulance arrived. They later learned the man, Dennis Rodriguez, 57, of California, had not survived. Though there were many witnesses on the river that day, Johnny and Tyler were the first to take action and respond. Both boys hope to eventually become Eagle Scouts, the highest advancement ranking in Scouting. The three medals will be awarded by Mayor Len Holzinger at the Grants Pass City Council meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the council chambers. Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 776-4471, or e-mail Scouts honored for heroics ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Absinthe Supply Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Debt Consolidation California Casinos Generic Viagra Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Hammocks Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada King of Spirits Advertisement s Advertisement