Three California corrections employees were awarded the state’s Medal of Valor for heroically rescuing a 94-year-old woman from a burning home while off duty.
CALIFORNIA, USA — Three California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation employees were honored after they rushed into a burning home and rescued a 94-year-old woman while they were working on a nearby property in 2024.
Steve Smith, Jeremy McGhee and Ryan Diangson were working off duty on plumbing at a nearby house when they noticed smoke coming from a neighboring home.
“We were running the plumbing on a house, and we were on the side of the house welding pipe together. And Jeremy smelled smoke, so he came to the side of the house and that’s how it started,” Smith said.
The three men went toward the home, where they encountered thick smoke and intense heat. They found the woman still inside her bedroom and helped guide her to safety before first responders arrived.
After getting her out, the men helped provide care while emergency crews responded.
“We had some bottled water, some paper towels to try to clean her up because literally, we were all black — went and turned off the gas, the electrical to the house, and then after that, him and I ended up running back in and opening up all the windows to try to get all the smoke out of the house,” McGhee said.
Diangson said he was grateful the group was in the right place at the right time.
“Just glad we were there. We just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Had it been a few hours later, we would have been done for the day and not been there, so just glad we were there,” Diangson said.
Their actions earned the three men California’s Medal of Valor, the state’s highest honor for heroism awarded on behalf of the governor to state employees who demonstrate extraordinary acts of courage.
During the ceremony, the woman they rescued, Ida Thompson, shared what the recognition meant to her.
“When they call me Grandma, I feel 10 foot tall because they are true heroes to me,” Thompson said.