Deputy Honored for Life-Saving Efforts

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Joshua Harsy, deputy sheriff in Perry County, was presented Friday with the 2009 Law Enforcement Award from the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) in the upstairs courtroom at the Perry County Courthouse, in Pinckneyville.

ISBA President Jack C. Carey, an attorney from Belleville, presented the award.

Disregarding his own safety, he went into the dark, near freezing water to try and rescue the children --Shayce and Savannah Radake--from a sinking truck that went into a farm pond on East Tamaroa Road. Despite his best efforts and multiple attempts, the children did not survive the accident.

In his nomination, DuQuoin attorney David H. Searby, Jr. wrote: "The actions that Deputy Harsy took that night attempting to save the children were above and beyond the call of duty and demonstrate that he represents the very best of law enforcement."

In their supporting nominations, Judge James W. Campanella and State's Attorney David N. Stanton said Deputy Harsy's effort to save the children "transcends heroic." The headlines may have been better had the children survived, they wrote, but added: "He deserves no less recognition because the children did not survive. He gave it everything he had. Harsy did not hesitate to put his life on the line for them. That is true heroism which epitomizes what the citizens of Illinois want from from their law enforcement officers."

The Law Enforcement Award was created to recognize sworn law enforcement officers for conduct that promotes justice and to distinguish those individuals whose service to the public brings honor and respect to the entire criminal justice system.