Willow Creek woman recognized for bravery after saving driver's life
EUREKA, Calif. — After helping to save a man's life earlier this year when his car plunged into the Humboldt Bay, a Willow Creek woman is being recognized by the Carnegie Hero Fund for her bravery.
Heidi Johnston, a 49-year-old stay-at-home mom, is being awarded the Carnegie Medal for her actions in January 2021 when she dove headfirst into the bay and extracted the elderly driver of a car that drove into the Bay in Eureka. The medal is the highest civilian award for heroism.
The fund said that Johnston qualified for the medal by risking her life to an extraordinary degree.
The Eureka Police Department and Humboldt Bay Fire awarded Johnston in February for the act with a Valor Service Award challenge coin as well as Honorary Life Saving Award normally awarded to officers who save lives while in the line of duty.
