MOUNT VERNON — Knox County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Burgess said he doesn’t remember thinking about jumping from his cruiser when he saw Joanne Lemay running toward her burning house on Coshocton Avenue the morning of Nov. 21.
“I saw a lady run from the garage into the house, so I jumped out to see what was going on and if there were people inside,” Burgess said.
There were.
Lemay had run back in to rescue her two daughters, 3-year-old Jamie and 6-year-old Callia, who were watching cartoons in the living room.
Burgess picked up the two little girls, one in each arm.
“I just remember seeing the kids and I snatched them up to get them far away from the fire,” Burgess explained. He called running toward the burning house a “knee-jerk reaction.”
A six-year veteran of the department, Burgess said he is grateful for the award, and enjoys hearing thank you, but he does not consider himself a hero.
“Ryan’s probably one of the most humble guys who works here,” said Knox County Sheriff David Barber. “He does his job and does it well.”
Barber said he was honored to nominate Burgess for a lifesaving commendation from the Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association. Barber presented the award to Burgess Thursday afternoon on behalf of the BSSA and the KCSO. Burgess was also given a special green and white ribbon to wear on his uniform, representing his lifesaving achievement.
Barber said the attention from the incident has made Burgess, who is not fond of having his picture taken, a little uneasy.
“He doesn’t do it for the recognition,” Barber said. “I think he was called to law enforcement. Ever since he’s been with us in 2002, he’s done an outstanding job.”
Burgess, a graduate of COTC with an associate’s degree in law enforcement, lives in Knox County with his wife, Kim. He said he enjoys his job.
“He truly is a hero,” Barber said Thursday. “He’s being kind of modest about it, but a person can go through their entire law enforcement career and not be presented with the kind of situation he was presented with.
“I’m proud to have him as one of my employees,” the sheriff added. “He reflects the caliber of the officers we have in this county.”
