Photo courtesy of Lyon County Sheriff’s Office Lyon County Sheriff Eric Wallen, Catie Dahl and Chris Dahl attended the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association winter conference, where Catie was presented with a Life Saving Award. In January, Catie Dahl assisted a man who went through the ice on Cottonwood Lake, staying with him until he could be rescued by emergency responders.

A southwest Minnesota woman was honored for her quick actions when a man and a dog went through the ice on Cottonwood Lake last winter. Last week, the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association presented Catie Dahl with a Life Saving Award, during their annual winter conference.

“I’m truly honored and humbled,” Dahl said of receiving the award. She said being at the award ceremony also reminded her of the work that emergency responders do, and how everyone in a community is connected. “Anyone can be called to stand up in an incident,” she said.

In January, Dahl was the first person on the scene when a truck carrying a 68-year-old Cottonwood man and his dog went through the lake ice near her home. She helped free the dog from the ice, and grabbed the man’s hands until the Cottonwood Fire Department and Ambulance arrived to pull him out of the water.

Lyon County Sheriff Eric Wallen nominated Dahl for the award. Most of the awards the Sheriff’s Association presents at the winter conference are for members of law enforcement, but private citizens can also be nominated for the Life Saving Award. Wallen said he thought Dahl’s actions made her “a perfect candidate” for the Sheriff’s Association’s Life Saving Award.

Wallen said it was good to have a chance to recognize one of the positive things that Lyon County residents have done.

“We have people who do good things, day in and day out,” he said.

This year, Dahl was the only private citizen who received the Life Saving Award, Wallen said.

Dahl said the experience was “a little surreal,” but also humbling. Being at the award ceremony really highlighted the kind of situations that emergency responders are called to.

“There are so many people out there that are deserving of that award, and they do this every day,” she said.

Dahl said the accident on Cottonwood Lake was “sort of a whirlwind” for her. But she was very thankful that it had a positive outcome.