Bill Text: NY J02740 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Commending Brandon Gruttemeyer upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-12-04 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [J02740 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-J02740-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 2740

BY: Senator WEBER

        COMMENDING  Brandon  Gruttemeyer upon the occasion
        of his designation as recipient of a Liberty  Medal,
        the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the
        New York State Senate

  WHEREAS,  It  is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend the caring concern and  heroic  acts  of  individuals  who  take
prompt  and  appropriate  action  in emergency situations, nobly risking
their own lives in an effort to preserve the life of another; and

  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  this  Legislative  Body  is  justly proud to
commend Brandon Gruttemeyer upon the  occasion  of  his  designation  as
recipient  of  a  Liberty  Medal,  the  highest  honor  bestowed upon an
individual by the New York State Senate; and

  WHEREAS, The New York State Senate Liberty Medal was established  by
Resolution  and  is  awarded  to  individuals  who  have merited special
commendation for exceptional, heroic, or humanitarian acts on behalf  of
their fellow New Yorkers; and

  WHEREAS,  On  the  night  of  Thursday, August 1, 2024, suddenly and
inexplicably, Brandon Gruttemeyer's coworker, who does not know  how  to
swim,  dove into the water, rising to the surface immediately in need of
assistance; another fellow employee, Eric VanAuken, who was  already  in
the  water,  was  not  able  to  help  the  victim on his own due to his
thrashing and size; and

  WHEREAS, Upon being notified of the emergency,  this  selfless  Lake
George  Club  sailing instructor, Brandon Gruttemeyer, immediately leapt
into action to find a flashlight; he rushed back to the scene,  and  was
able   to   locate   the  struggling  individual  who  was  found  under
approximately 10-12 feet of water; and

  WHEREAS, Brandon Gruttemeyer and Eric VanAuken were able to pull the
individual  in  need  from  the  water,  and  began  administering   CPR
compressions as well as mouth-to-mouth maneuvers; and

  WHEREAS,  Emergency  medical  service  professionals  arrived at the
scene and were able to get the victim to a point of stabilized breathing
with a strong pulse; and

  WHEREAS, Once at Glens Falls Hospital, the condition of  the  victim
began  decreasing  and  destabilizing  rapidly,  causing  the  immediate
transfer of the individual to Albany Medical Center where an expert team
of specially trained healthcare professionals utilized  equipment  known
as  an  extracorporeal  membrane  oxygenation machine; this decision was
paramount to ensuring the individual's opportunity for recovery; and

  WHEREAS, The victim showed  signs  of  great  improvement  over  the
following  days  of the incident, sitting up, smiling, and responding to
his father's voice; the likes of which were able to  occur  due  to  the
swift and lifesaving efforts of Brandon Gruttemeyer that night; and


  WHEREAS,  A  truly  brave  and  courageous  man, Brandon Gruttemeyer
played a vital role in this extraordinary rescue effort, and  should  be
praised  by the people of this great Empire State for his astute actions
in working to preserve the life of another; and

  WHEREAS, Brandon Gruttemeyer, in his spontaneous and heroic act, has
so aptly demonstrated his character and compassion for  the  welfare  of
others, personifying, by virtue of his action, the collective concern of
ordinary citizens across the community of New York State who voluntarily
respond  without  thought of danger or reward when others are in need of
help; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
commend  Brandon  Gruttemeyer  upon  the  occasion of his designation as
recipient of a  Liberty  Medal,  the  highest  honor  bestowed  upon  an
individual by the New York State Senate; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Brandon Gruttemeyer.