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Three young callers were awarded 911 Hero Award for their life-saving efforts

911 Hero Arturo Hernandez
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EL PASO COUNTY, CO — The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is celebrating three, young 911 callers for their lifesaving efforts on Monday.

Three young callers between the ages of 9 and 15 years old were awarded the 911 Hero Award by the sheriff's office, these are their stories.

According to the department, in the early days of December 2022, 9-year-old Daniel Wutzke's mother, Melissa Wutzke, called 911 after she was struggling to breathe, but was unable to even speak to dispatch.

Luckily, Daniel was nearby and was able to take the phone and properly relay their address and Melissa's condition to the call taker. This allowed the Security Fire Department to respond to Daniel's mother's emergency and provided medical care.


The sheriff's office said that 11-year-old Liam VadBunker was instrumental in helping his younger brother during a medical emergency that occurred in April of this year.

VadBunker was at home when his 3-year-old younger brother said he was not feeling well and began to have a seizure.

Liam told the dispatcher it was the scare of his life, but due to his quick thinking, he was able to call 911 and speak with dispatcher Diedre DiFazio.

DeFazio was able to calm Liam down and reassure him everything would work out. Due to their quick actions, the Security Fire Department was able to respond and administer aid to Liam's brother.


The sheriff's office is also awarding 15-year-old Liam Gordon for his instrumental role in helping his brother get medical assistance after suffering a seizure. The sheriff's office said the incident occurred in March 2023.

Dispatcher Krisyn Marmet answered the call and Liam explained that his little brother was not breathing. Liam's family was screaming in the background.

The sheriff's office said that due to Liam's calm and composed attitude, he was able to confirm his family's address for the Security Fire Department to respond. During their response, Liam's brother regained consciousness and played a big part in calming his family down.

It is for these actions the El Paso County Sheriff's Office and the El Paso Teller 911 Authority is awarding Liam VadBunker, Liam Gordon, and Daniel Wutzke the 911 Hero Award.
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