Saugus firefighters honored

SAUGUS – A pair of Saugus firefighters were honored recently at the 23rd annual Firefighter of the Year Awards in Worcester.Gov. Deval Patrick, Public Safety Secretary Mary Elizabeth Heffernan and State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan honored firefighters from 15 Massachusetts communities, which included Saugus Fire Capt. Thomas Nolan and Lt. James Hughes, who each won a Medal of Valor for their efforts during two cold water rescues.?It?s a great honor for the guys and for the department itself,” said Fire Chief Donald McQuaid. “Both of them did a great job ? they both went above and beyond in their attempts,”At around 1 a.m. on a cold December morning last year, Hughes braved the cold water of the Saugus River to try and save a woman trapped in a car that had just drove off the Fox Hill Bridge on the Lynn-Saugus line.With fellow firefighter Charles Stewart dressed in his buoyant cold water survival suit, he could not swim down to get to the victim, so Hughes took off his shoes and jumped into the water. Hughes broke open the sun roof and located the victim inside, and was able to remove her from the car through the door. Firefighters immediately began resuscitation efforts, but the woman was eventually pronounced dead.Hughes was treated for hypothermia and a laceration to his foot at Massachusetts General Hospital.In his nomination letter, former Fire Chief James Blanchard said Hughes had to battle a strong tidal current along with near zero visibility and freezing temperatures to pull the woman out.?Lt. Hughes? unselfish and courageous actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Saugus Fire Department, whose members dedicate themselves to the protection of life and property,” said Blanchard.Hughes was also awarded this year?s Thomas Linsky Award for his actions.Nolan was honored for saving a man on Nov. 18 last year who had fallen off a dock at Lobstermen Landing and was trapped under water with his legs stuck in a rope above the water.Nolan, who was off duty at the time, was stopping at a corner store on his way home when he heard the call come over the radio. Nolan drove to the spot and found the man upside down and under water. Nolan jumped into the cold water and pulled the man?s head to the surface. With the help of Saugus Police officer John Naglieri, Nolan was able to wrestle the man into a nearby boat. The man was eventually transported to MGH.Nolan said it was an honor to represent both the department and the town of Saugus and gave credit to several people for his award.?I accepted the award on the behalf of Linda Meyers, the lady who made the 9-1-1 call and stood by in the cold, Saugus police officer John Naglieri, the on-duty fire group that evening under the command of Capt. Steve Johnson, the 9-1-1 dispatchers who handle the call with calm and professionalism, and the dedicated paramedics from Cataldo Ambulance,” said Nolan.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].