Narragansett Officer to be Honored with Red Cross Heroes

NARRAGANSETT, RI—Narragansett police Ofc. Kevin O'Connor dove into the water at Hazard Rock on May 31 to save a drowning man. James Votta, 64, had fallen and struck his head. Although Votta died, O'Connor did everything he could to save him, including performing first aid until medics arrived. He is one of the local heroes the American Red Cross will honor at the 5th Annual Rhode Island Heroes event in Warwick on Friday, June 2.

“The Heroes event is one of the most inspiring moments of the year,” said Susan Roberts, Executive Director, American Red Cross Rhode Island Chapter. “We honor people and organizations that do extraordinary things. They symbolize the best of the human spirit and reflect the Red Cross ideal of helping others.”

This year’s honorees were chosen from a competitive field. the Red Cross said.

“We saw some truly impressive nominations, but these honorees rose to the forefront for making a difference – in some cases, a lifesaving difference – in their communities and are true heroes,” said Roberts.

The following awards will be presented on June 2:

• Water Safety Hero Award presented to Officer Kevin O'Connor of Narragansett Police Department, who was first on the scene of a drowning man who had fallen from treacherous rocks at Hazard Rock. O’Connor risked his life in an attempt to save another’s, jumping into the water and performing chest compressions until firefighters could arrive.
• Community Hero Award presented to Christian Hill Community Church for creating a Red Cross disaster relief shelter at their church. The Church also runs food and clothing pantries throughout the year and fed 40 families this year for Christmas.
• Emergency Services Hero Award presented to Officer Yomaira Rodriguez, Sergeant Derrick Levasseur, and Officer Bari Cameron of the Central Falls Police Department who saved seven people after a fire in a residential building where fire alarms failed to alert those inside.
• Lifesaving Hero Award presented to Christopher J. Monteiro, who saved the life of a choking infant at a restaurant in West Warwick. Monteiro performed lifesaving measures on the child who had stopped breathing after eating, saving his life.
• Service to the Armed Forces Hero Award presented to Karen Dalton for her founding of Dare to Dream Ranch, Inc., a therapy program utilizing Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) to transform the lives of U.S. veterans.
• Spirit of the Red Cross Hero Award presented to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Rhode Island, for their commitment to working with the Red Cross and helping our organization fulfill its mission through programs like House in a Box™. House in a Box™ is a national program of the Society that supplies survivors of disasters with critical items to furnish and entire home.
• Workplace Hero Award presented to the Home Depot Team, made up of Home Depot employees dedicated to giving back to the community by supporting active and retired military members. The various activities they organize throughout the year are focused on making the lives of our soldiers and families better.

The Red Cross Heroes luncheon will be held Friday, June 2, at the Crowne Plaza Warwick, 801 Greenwich Street in Warwick. Registration and lunch begin at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $50 each, or $500 for a table of ten, and must be purchased in advance. To purchase tickets online, visit www.redcross.org/riheroes. For more information, contact Libby Richardson atLibby.Richardson@redcross.org.