Silver Lake honors heroes, volunteers

Bystanders that saved a man’s life last summer were recognized for their efforts by the Silver Lake Emergency Rescue Squad at the annual awards banquet held Saturday, Jan. 14 in Choconut.
During the annual Barrel of Bucks event the ambulance squad was responding to two medical calls when another call came in from the Choconut Inn for a man who was in cardiac arrest. The Montrose Minute Men were already en route because of the other calls and Silver Lake first responders drove their personal vehicles to the scene.
“He was revived by bystanders who administered CPR,” said Linda Cole-Koloski, captain of the Silver Lake

Emergency Rescue Squad. “It’s chain of survival. It takes people on the scene. This year it actually happened. This year it actually worked.”
The man went on to survive, she said, “because of the life-saving acts of several people.”
Those people were recognized for their efforts and attended the banquet, seated with the man they saved.
Jamie and Halley Patak and Michelle Herman Axworthy each received certificated of appreciation for their life-saving efforts.
That award was only one of the evening’s special events.
The Silver Lake Volunteer Fire Company presented Bob

Elliot with an award for service. Elliot has been a member of the fire company for 60 years.
Hugh Holland was presented with the Firefighter of the Year award; and Phyllis McNamara received the Rescue Squad Member of the Year award.
Capping off the evening, two couples, Candy Mooney and Dennis and Christine Olsen – both celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary – renewed their vows, as well as their commitment to the department.