The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission has awarded Trooper George W. Greenway IV of Sulphur Springs, Texas, the Carnegie Medal for his life-saving actions in El Paso last year.
On the night of September 5, 2024, a 27-year-old woman fell from the border fence into the American Canal and was swept downstream. She managed to cling to a cable strung across the canal, just 80 feet from the headgates of a wastewater treatment plant where others had drowned in recent months.
Greenway, 45, was patrolling nearby when he heard the woman’s screams. After a border agent opened a gate in the fence, Greenway spotted her struggling in the water. Believing she couldn’t hold on much longer, he stripped off his duty belt, jumped into the canal, and pulled himself hand-over-hand along the cable to reach her.
Fighting the strong current, Greenway wrapped his legs around the woman as she lost consciousness, securing her while using the cable to pull them both toward shore. He eventually hoisted her up a rebar step to safety. The woman was transported to a hospital and survived.
Greenway was uninjured.
The Carnegie Medal is North America’s highest civilian honor for heroism, recognizing individuals who risk their lives to save others.
