Sergeant honored for lifesaving action Published Sept. 9, 2009 By Howdy Stout 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFNS) -- A Tinker Air Force NCO received the Airman's Medal in September here for the actions he and two friends did to rescue a group of drowning college exchange students in 2007. Staff Sgt. Chris Harlan of the 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron earned the Airman's Medal for heroism involving the voluntary risk of life outside of combat. Sergeant Harlan said he remembers the day well, as he and his friends were on a weekend fishing trip. "On the way home we stopped off at Turner Falls," Sergeant Harlan said. Then an airman, he and two friends were returning from their Columbus Day weekend fishing trip when he decided to stop at the fall to show his friends some of Oklahoma's scenic beauty. He noticed five students, all exchange students from India attending Oklahoma City University, wading into the water. But when one slipped into deeper water, the others were dragged in. None could swim. "We got over there as quickly as possible," Sergeant Harlan said. "The first thought is, of course, nobody is drowning. But that lasted a millisecond." Disregarding their own safety -- and the frigid water -- Sergeant Harlan and his friends dove in to the rescue. Within minutes they managed to pull four of the five students from the water. Sergeant Harlan organized bystanders to help search and to call for help. Ignoring the cold and becoming increasingly tired, Sergeant Harlan continued searching for the fifth student for another 30 minutes until the police arrived. "We never found the guy," he said. It took rescue divers another 30 minutes to find the missing student. The survivors were hustled off for medical examinations while Sergeant Harlan and his friends recovered. "I was exhausted," he said. "I felt like I had sprinted several miles." Sergeant Harlan met the students again during a Hindu Diwali ceremony, where they thanked him for his heroism. "It was very touching," said his wife, Staff Sgt. Rachel Harlan. "He didn't even know their names until then. It wasn't until then that we met them." Sergeant Harlan said the day at Turner Falls illustrated how tenuous life can be. It has made him cherish his own family more. "Within five minutes of showing up there, somebody lost their life. Things can change fast," he said. "It just makes you appreciate what you have. A lot of people experience loss and tragedy ... but people forget how quickly you can lose a loved one."