Posted on 06/14/2011 12:59

Frank Andruscavage/staff photo Trooper Kurt S. Salak receives his Medal of Honor from state police Commissioner Frank Noonan on Friday in Hershey.

Frank Andruscavage/staff photo Trooper Jeffrey A. Hummel hands his Medal of Honor to his son, Bryce, 5.
HERSHEY - On a rainy March 10, Troopers Jeffrey A. Hummel and Kurt S. Salak didn't know when they started their shift at the Schuylkill Haven station that only hours later, they would find themselves in frigid floodwaters attempting to save a man trapped in his vehicle.
For their efforts, the pair joined two other troopers in accepting the state police Medal of Honor award in a ceremony Friday at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in Hershey, where about 150 friends, relatives and colleagues listened to testimonials by the troopers and their superiors.
About 8:55 p.m. March 10, David H. Sallada, 74, of 29 E. Laurel St., Tremont, drove around barricades on Route 645 and into rising waters. Sallada died at the scene.
"The gallant efforts of these two men went far above and beyond the call of duty," state police Commissioner Frank Noonan said. "They placed their own lives in jeopardy in an attempt to save the life of another."
Noonan presented the awards to Salak, 43, and Hummel, 36.
In describing the events near Pine Grove, Lt. Harold J. Lacey, commander of Staff and Special Services, Bureau of Training and Education, praised Salak and Hummel.
Lacey said that when the duo arrived at the scene and saw the vehicle was submerged, fire personnel gave them life jackets and tethered them. The troopers entered the water carrying only a flashlight and reached the vehicle submerged in about 8 feet of water. Lacey said Salak got caught in a violent current and called for help.
"Trooper Hummel answered the call by reaching out to Trooper Salak and lifting him onto the car," Lacey said.
Salak was able to strike a side window once with the flashlight before it was ripped from his hand by the current, Lacey said.
"Having no other tools and realizing time was of the essence, Salak successfully broke the window to gain access to the victim by striking it with his left hand," he said.
The troopers pulled Sallada through the broken window.
"Each cold and exhausted, the troopers grabbed hold of the victim on either side and did their best to keep him above water while being pulled to shore by EMS personnel," Lacey said.
Hummel suffered minor cuts and hypothermia while Salak had six stitches placed in his right forearm, Lacey said.
In presenting the award to Hummel, Lacey said, "With total disregard for your safety, you broke out a window of the vehicle to gain access to the victim. You also prevented Trooper Salak from being swept away in the fast-moving currents. Your self-sacrificing and heroic actions demonstrate your commitment and dedication to duty."
Lacey, in honoring Salak, said, "You attempted to rescue an individual stuck in his vehicle, submerged in 8 feet of swiftly moving water. With total disregard for your safety, you entered the submerged vehicle to gain access to the victim. Your actions of valor and selflessness during this incident are a credit to you and the Pennsylvania State Police."
Both troopers spoke briefly.
"I believe the Holy Spirit came in the form of Kurt Salak that day," Hummel said. He gave his medal to his 5-year-old son, Bryce, who proudly walked over to his dad from the audience.
Salak said it was a joint effort between he and Hummel and emergency responders, and that the award is an honor he will never forget.
"I am truly humbled for receiving this award," he said.
Trooper First Class Harry S. Gustafson of Troop D, New Castle, and Trooper Jason E. Whitman of Troop E, Franklin, also received the award for separate incidents.
Gustafson received the top honor for the off-duty rescue of a friend while they were fishing on Lake Erie last August. After their boat's motor failed and waves capsized the vessel, Gustafson used various means to keep his friend's head above water for nearly four hours until another boat spotted and rescued them.
On Jan. 13, 2010, Whitman and Trooper Paul Richey were approaching a house in Venango County when Richey was struck in the neck by a rifle shot. Whitman, a member of the state police Special Emergency Response Team, returned fire, radioed for help and provided first aid to Richey, who had volunteered to go along because he'd had previous contact with the gunman.
Three other troopers, who received Commendation Medals Friday, provided cover fire while Richey was recovered and taken by ambulance to a hospital, but he died a short time later. The gunman also killed his wife before taking his own life.
Also Friday, Trooper First Class Shawn R. Reifsnyder of the Hamburg station was presented with the Commendation Medal for his actions that saved a Hamburg borough police officer when he went to assist at a domestic disturbance Jan. 8.
Lacey said the Hamburg officer approached the front door of a home and was fired on by a man using a military-style rifle. Reifsnyder was also fired upon when he arrived at the scene, but he got out of his cruiser and returned fire using a shotgun, providing the Hamburg officer time to gain cover and return fire with his service sidearm.
The gunman was eventually shot and killed by his father-in-law inside the home, according to Republican-Herald archives. The gunman allegedly shot and killed his mother-in-law a short time earlier, while she was trying to flee the home.
More than a dozen officers responded to the scene and none were injured, although both state police and Hamburg patrol vehicles sustained gunshot damage.
"Your actions of valor and selflessness during this incident are a credit to you and the Pennsylvania State Police," Lacey said to Reifsnyder.
The Medal of Honor, which has been given to 55 department members since 1970, is presented to officers "distinguished by a gallant and intrepid action, which was above and beyond the call of duty," according to state police regulations.
The action must have been "one of personal bravery or self-sacrifice, so conspicuous that it clearly distinguishes the recipient, and has involved risk of serious bodily injury or loss of life," said Jack J. Lewis, state police press secretary.