Sheriff Tom Bosenko is pleased to announce Correctional Officer John Zufall as the recipient of the 2013 Governor’s Public Safety Medal of Valor for his heroic actions during a dive operation at Lake Shasta on September 8, 2013. John will be awarded the Medal of Valor and recognized in a ceremony at the California State Capitol on September 15, 2014 at 11:00 A.M.. The selection process for this award is extremely arduous and lengthy, with committee members reviewing numerous acts of heroism and bravery. The fact that Correctional Officer Zufall was selected for this award is a great honor, as he was selected from a list of officers statewide who also performed heroic acts in 2013.
Correctional Officer John Zufall has been with the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office for approximately 14 years. John is married and has a child. In addition, John is one of the senior and highly valued members of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office Dive team. John has responded to scores of dive team callouts, trainings, and rescues during his career. John proudly served our Nation in the United States Navy. With his training and status as a Navy Diver, John brings an unparalleled level of expertise and experience to the Sheriff’s Office Dive Team.
During the dive operation, John was positioned as a “Safety Diver” at the 100 foot mark to monitor the safety and progress of a diver working below. John was completely aware of the safe diving depth of 100 feet for advanced divers and the potential danger that lay below that depth. After following the prescribed dive safety plan, and when the critical time table for the diver below had passed, John made the conscious decision to descend to greater depths. With total disregard for his personal safety and fully aware of the life threatening danger that lay ahead, John descended to a staggering depth of 172 feet and located the injured diver. Upon recovering the downed diver, John made another brave decision to quickly bring him to the top in an effort to save the diver’s life.
Based on John’s training, experience, and expertise, he was consciously aware of the life threatening dangers of a rapid ascent from that unimaginable depth. Forgoing the imminent threat of personal injury or death, John rapidly ascended to the surface with the injured diver. As a result, John was injured to the point of having to undergo two rounds of intensive decompression treatment. Thankfully John fully recovered, returning to duty a short time later.
In recognition of his quick action, lack of hesitation, and disregard for his own personal safety, Sheriff Bosenko awarded John the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office Medal of Valor in a recognition ceremony in January 2014. John will also be awarded the Medal of Valor by the California Peace Officers Association in a ceremony scheduled for October 3, 2014.
– Press Release
