A Grant County firefighter was honored Thursday with the Washington State Patrol Lifesaving Award for risking his life to save a trapped driver from a burning vehicle.
The state patrol held a surprise ceremony on Thursday for Grant County Fire District 6 firefighter Daniel Baergen, who was joined by family and fellow firefighters. On Nov. 15, 2020, Eliseo Martinez was driving south on state Route 17 near Lake Lenore when he had a coughing fit and lost control of his car, which was also pulling a small boat. The car and trailer went off the road to the right and the vehicle rolled, striking several large boulders before coming to rest on its top, according to the state patrol.