Jonathan Tinsley once rescued a woman being stabbed in the middle of a Lakewood street.
Another time, he dove into a frigid Lake Steilacoom to try to save a man whose canoe had overturned. And last month, he tackled a man who attacked several people at a Tumwater gas station.
The 35-year-old West Pierce Fire & Rescue firefighter can’t explain how he finds himself involved in others’ life-or-death situations, both in uniform and out.
“Bad things happen in front of me and I feel obligated to fix them, I guess,” Tinsley said.
For the third time since joining the department in November 2004, Tinsley was honored last week with West Pierce’s Valor Award for his actions during the March 3 incident in Tumwater.