Carnegie Medals awarded to 13 in U.S., Canada for extraordinary acts of civilian heroism

PITTSBURGH, June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In its second award announcement of 2013, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission today named 13 individuals as recipients of the Carnegie Medal.  The medal is given throughout the United States and Canada to civilians who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others. 

Two of the awardees died in the performance of their heroic acts, including Kevin Roberts, 43, of Mount Lookout, W.Va., who drowned in the Atlantic Ocean at Bald Head Island, N.C., attempting to save four youths who were struggling to return to shore against a strong current.  Aided by others, the youths survived.  University of Florida freshman Michael Wayne Pirie, 18, of Oviedo, Fla., attempted to rescue a friend who became stranded while exploring Ellison's Cave in Lafayette, Ga.  Both Pirie and his friend succumbed. 

The heroes announced today bring to 35 the number of awards made in 2013 to date and to 9,611 the total number since the Pittsburgh-based Fund's inception in 1904.  Commission President Mark Laskow stated that each of the awardees or their survivors will also receive a financial grant.  Throughout the 109 years since the Fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, $35.2 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance.  The awardees are:

Resumes of the acts can be found at http://carnegiehero.org/awardees.  Fuller information on the Carnegie Medal and the history of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission can be found at www.carnegiehero.org        

Contact: Douglas R. Chambers
Toll free: 1-800-447-8900

SOURCE Carnegie Hero Fund Commission