Lake Oswego, Oregon Resident Honored with VITA(TM) Wireless Samaritan Award

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Jul 24, 2012, 12:03 ET

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Chris O'Neill of Lake Oswego, Oregon was honored with a VITA™ Wireless Samaritan Award by The Wireless Foundation and CTIA-The Wireless Association® for using his cellphone to summon help and save a 4-year-old boy who was in a perilous situation. O'Neill received the award July 23 at the 18th Annual Achievement Awards dinner.

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O'Neill was driving on North Shore Road when he came upon an SUV teetering over an embankment above Oswego Lake. Alarmed, he stopped and used his cellphone to dial 911. Michelle Prats, the driver of the car, told him her son, Seve, was still strapped in the SUV's backseat. O'Neill handed Michelle his cellphone and crawled into the vehicle to safely deliver Seve to his mother.

"Chris selflessly put himself in harm's way to protect Seve and prevent a possible tragedy. Chris embodies the VITA Wireless Samaritan Award and I'm pleased to recognize him for using his cellphone to help the Prats family," said Steve Largent, President of The Wireless Foundation and President and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association.

The Wireless Foundation and CTIA-The Wireless Association selected O'Neill and eight other VITA Wireless Samaritan Award recipients from across the nation for their use of wireless technology to save lives, stop crime and help in other emergency situations. VITA Wireless Samaritan Awards are presented annually to recipients who put safety first and use wireless to help others in need. With more than 400,000 wireless phone calls made to 911 every day, the awards also reinforce the crucial role wireless technology plays in emergencies.

CTIA-The Wireless Foundation (www.wirelessfoundation.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to developing and supporting initiatives that use wireless technology to help American communities. The Foundation's innovative programs benefit consumers in areas such as education, healthcare, safety and the environment. As part of its Annual Achievement Awards, the Foundation recognizes VITA™ Wireless Samaritans and honors the best of our nation's leadership, its youth and its scholars. The Foundation was formed by CTIA-The Wireless Association® member companies in 1991.

SOURCE CTIA-The Wireless Foundation