At an Oct. 23 ceremony at the State Police Training Academy in Meriden, Trooper Donald Dunning and Trooper First Class David Tretter were among the State Police troopers and others who received awards for service in Troop F, H, and I area towns.

The Connecticut State Police honors troopers who demonstrate exceptional service in the line of duty. The ceremony also honors men and women serving in local and federal law enforcement agencies, those serving as first responders, and civilians.

Award winners received medals and certificates from Commissioner Dora B. Schriro and State Police Colonel George F. Battle. Governor Dannel Malloy and Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman also attended and addressed the recipients.

Awards in the Central District were presented in five categories: The Lifesaving Award is presented to those who save a human life or make a valiant attempt to save a life.

On Christmas Day 2017, at 12:45 p.m., Troop F in Westbrook received a 911 call from a mother who discovered her teenage daughter attempting to hang herself. The caller untied the ligature and the teen ran out of the house. The caller believed that the teen still intended to harm herself.

Dunning arrived at the residence and began to search the area. There were no footprints in the snow, so he searched the interior of the house. In the basement, the teen was discovered in a utility closet in another hanging suicide attempt. Dunning utilized a pocket knife to cut the victim down as Tretter arrived on scene. They discovered that the teen did not have a pulse and was not breathing.

The troopers immediately began CPR and within minutes the victim had a pulse and was gasping for air. The troopers monitored the teen’s breathing; circulation and a radial pulse were verified. Paramedics arrived to transport the teen to a local clinic.