LOWELL — A pair of state troopers who saved the life of a distraught 24-year-old man when they used a state police helicopter to pull him from the icy waters of the Merrimack River earlier this month were honored by Gov. Charlie Baker.
Trooper John Hazelrigg, who lives in North Central Massachusetts and piloted the Air4 helicopter, and Trooper Russ Phippen, who lives in the Merrimack Valley and grabbed the man out of the river, were both called to the Governor’s Beacon Hill offices Wednesday.
Baker’s office initiated the meeting so Baker could present both troopers with a citation recognizing their heroism.
Phippen and Hazelrigg responded to the rescue attempt in the state police Airwing’s Air4 helicopter, intending to just provide lighting to the Jan. 3 rescue effort.
But when efforts to rescue the man from the river with boats failed because ice in the water disabled rescue boats, Phippen and Hazelrigg were asked if they could help the man.
They initially said no because the helicopter was not equipped to make water rescues, but soon changed their minds and risked their lives because they could tell the man in the water was close to dying of hypothermia, and wouldn’t live long enough for other rescue efforts.
“We recognized that if we did nothing this person would have died,” Phippen has said.
Hazelrigg piloted the chopper so low it’s skids ended up in the river, while Phippen hung out the side of the aircraft while secured to the chopper via a cable.
Phippen then grabbed the man from the waters, and slowly inched him into the chopper before it flew the man directly to Lowell General Hospital, where he recovered.
Phippen has said he and Hazelrigg were just doing their jobs.
But State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin has called the troopers’ actions “heroic,” and both Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito agreed in a citation they presented the troopers Wednesday.
“On behalf of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I am pleased to confer upon you this Governor’s Citation in recognition of your courage and heroism exhibited daily as a member of the Massachusetts State Police Airwing’s Air 4 Team and your selfless act, going above and beyond the call of duty during your water rescue,” the citation reads.
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