On Thursday, May 12th, the Exchange Club of Fresno presented its Top Cop award to Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy David Raquenio. The recognition luncheon took place at Pardini’s Restaurant in Fresno. Also honored were Fresno Police Officer Jennifer Federico and California Highway Patrol Officer Erik Halvorson.
Deputy Raquenio was recognized for his response to a traffic accident last year, which occurred on private property and could only be accessed by 4-wheel drive vehicles.
Deputy Raquenio was first to arrive at the scene and the only information he was given about the emergency was by someone pointing toward a mountainside located a mile away. Deputy Raquenio followed tire tracks left in the muddy dirt, which he assumed to belong to the victim’s vehicle. He later came upon a vehicle lying on its side, several hundred feet below the trail.
As Deputy Raquenio approached the vehicle, he found the driver, Bryce Diaz, severely injured. Deputy Raquenio, who has military medical training, knew the severity of Bryce’s injuries, so he treated him for shock and stabilized him. He remained with Bryce until EMS arrived. Search and Rescue (SAR) personnel arrived and setup a rope system to haul Bryce up to an awaiting vehicle. The on-scene sergeant allowed Deputy Raquenio to coordinate the movement of Bryce even though Raquenio himself ran the risk of injury. Motivated by the urgency of this matter, Deputy Raquenio used the help of his fellow deputies to work up the treacherous terrain and safely load Bryce into a 4X4 truck. From there, Bryce was taken to a medical transport helicopter.
After his shift ended, Deputy Raquenio went to the hospital and followed up on Bryce’s condition, who had undergone open heart surgery. Doctors informed Raquenio that Bryce had suffered a badly torn aorta, the artery which feeds blood to his heart. They went on to say that if it were not for Raquenio’s quick actions, Bryce most likely would have died.
The Exchange Club of Fresno is made up of local citizens. The local chapter unselfishly serves its communities and improving the quality of life. The organization surveys the needs of its community and determines what it can do to more effectively address those needs, either through the program of service or projects developed and implemented exclusively at the local level. For more information, http://www.exchangeclubfresno.org/
