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2025 Governor's Lifesaving Award Recipients
On December 3, 2025, four Iowans were recognized for their lifesaving efforts:
- Meagan Murray
- Michael Edwards
- Kyle Peterson
- John Wonio
Meagan Murray - Lifesaving Award
From left to right: Iowa State Patrol Colonel Nathan Fulk, Meagan Murry, Governor Kim Reynolds, DPS Commissioner Stephan Bayens
On September 30, 2024, an 85-year-old New Hampton woman was cooking breakfast when she heard a popping sound coming from her basement. Within minutes, the house was consumed with a choking, black smoke. With the home’s fire alarm bellowing, the resident tried desperately to call 911, but the phone line was dead. The resident then tried to escape, but the exterior door refused to budge. By that time, fear had set in as the woman could scarcely see her hand in front of her face and her white hair had become black with soot.
But thankfully, mail carrier, Meagan Murray, saw the smoke billowing from the home and sprang to action. Meagan immediately called 911 and attempted to determine if anyone was inside. The blinding smoke had filled the house, so Megan began fiercely knocking on windows, in an effort to alert any occupants. Knock after knock produced no reply. Finally, Meagan decided she was going to knock on the window one last time as hard as she could. Megan did so and heard the faintest of replies coming from inside the burning house. Realizing someone was trapped inside, Meagan forced open an exterior door, helped the woman escape to safety, and remained with her until help arrived. On that day, an elderly mom was in dire need of a guardian angel and Meagan fit the bill.
Michael Edwards - Lifesaving with Valor Award
From left to right: Iowa State Patrol Colonel Nathan Fulk, Governor Kim Reynolds, Michael Edwards, (friend of Michael), DPS Commissioner Stephan Bayens
On February 26, 2025, a lifelong friendship was put to the test. Michael Edwards and his buddy for the better part of 50 years were ice fishing at South Sabula Lake in Jackson County and having little luck. Looking to change that luck, Michael’s friend started to punch a new hole about 25 yards away, when the ice suddenly folded, and his friend slid chin deep into 20 feet of bone chilling water.
Michael immediately called out to other nearby fishermen for help. He then bounded towards his friend who was bobbing in the frigid lake and found him clutching the tip of his ice auger. Michael immediately sprawled himself out to distribute his weight over the thin ice and grabbed ahold of the other end of the auger. Soon a life-threatening game of tug of war ensued, as each time one or the other pulled, Michael slid closer to the edge. When that would happen, Michael’s friend would quit pulling so as not to endanger Michael … but in that same vein, Michael refused to let the icy waters claim his friend. Sensing the dire nature of the circumstances and nearing physical exhaustion, the friend pleaded for help. Soon a second man risked his safety as well and joined Michael at the water’s edge. The second man slid out a nearby fishing sled to the drowning man and between the sled and the auger the two were able to pull him out of the water and to safety. Absent a friendship that spanned decades, the outcome would have undoubtedly been different.
Kyle Peterson - Lifesaving with Valor Award
From left to right: Iowa State Patrol Colonel Nathan Fulk, Kyle Peterson, Governor Kim Reynolds, DPS Commissioner Stephan Bayens
It was the evening of January 29, 2025, and the 45th annual Okoboji Winter Games were in full swing. Normally, the winter games are a time of fun and frivolity, but on this night, what was supposed to be a dinner date, became perilous. It started with several couples making a seemingly normal trek across East Lake in their UTVs for dinner at an area restaurant. As the group made their way across the lake, a large swath of open water suddenly appeared like a specter in the night. Given its sudden appearance, the driver of the lead UTV had no choice but to accelerate with the hope of skimming across the water. At first, the plan seemed to work as the UTV shot across the open gap, but then the UTV tragically hit the ice shelf on the other side throwing the driver and his wife into the icy waters. The rest of the group managed to stop short of the open water, called 911, and tried throwing the couple a lifeline, but the span of open water was simply too wide.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the lake, Kyle Peterson was just sitting down at a nearby restaurant with his wife, when he saw a pair of headlights making its way across the lake suddenly shoot skyward and then vanish into darkness. At first, Kyle hesitated to respond but felt compelled to leap into action. Over his wife’s objections and his own better judgment, Kyle ran out of the restaurant, jumped off the dock onto the ice, and started running the ½ mile to the struggling couple. As he ran, Kyle could hear a woman screaming that she could not hold on much longer, so he put his head down and ran all the faster. Once at the water’s edge, Kyle found the couple grasping for purchase along the ice shelf. Kyle first turned his attention to the wife, who was holding on by her fingertips. Kyle instructed the woman to kick her legs to try and remain afloat, but she couldn’t move her legs. With nowhere else to turn, Kyle shrugged out of his jacket and threw it to the woman… using it as a rope. Kyle then began the arduous task of pulling the woman to safety as he struggled to find traction on the glassy ice. Once he was able to safely pull the woman onto stable ice, Kyle turned to the husband and pulled him from the deadly winter water. After spending more than 10 minutes in the frigid water, the couple now had to make the ½ mile trek back to shore. Kyle encouraged them throughout, directing them to keep their head down and simply place one foot in front of the other. Soon thereafter, first responders arrived on scene and provided the couple with much needed care.
John Wonio - Lifesaving with Valor Award
From left to right: Iowa State Patrol Colonel Nathan Fulk, John Wonio, Governor Kim Reynolds, DPS Commissioner Stephan Bayens
It was just about 1:30 a.m. on December 7, 2024 when John Wonio of Des Moines started getting ready for bed. As he did so, he happened to look out his window and to his shock and horror, saw flames leaping from his neighbors’ kitchen window along with screams for help coming from within. John immediately called 911, rushed to the home, and began yelling the occupants’ names. A Des Moines Police Officer arrived soon thereafter and they could hear someone again yelling for help from inside the burning house. The officer and John broke down the front door and were met by a wall of billowing black smoke. An elderly male resident, having just had cataract surgery, was completely disoriented and could not find his way out of the home. While the officer shined his flashlight into the home, John called his neighbor by name and encouraged him to keep walking towards the light. The man walked towards John’s voice and they were able to rescue the man and bring him out to safety.
As the officer and John continued to peer into the living room for any additional occupants, the kitchen was now fully engulfed in a hungry fire being fed by the air flowing through the open front door. Through the smoke and haze, the two were barely able to make out the shape of a woman sitting in a chair. The two yelled at the top of their lungs pleading for the woman to flee the home. But to their dismay, they received no response. And then … seemingly out of nowhere, John rushed through the front door and thrust himself into the burning home. Once inside, he found the unconscious woman, pulled her from her chair, and dragged her to safety. The man was treated and released that night, but his wife spent more than two weeks in the hospital with a collapsed lung, carbon monoxide poisoning, and smoke inhalation burns. Her recovery was challenging but she was discharged just in time for Christmas. Needless to say, John gave his neighbors a Christmas gift they will never forget … the gift of life.
Back to top2024 Sullivan Brothers' Award of Valor Recipients
From left to right: Iowa State Patrol Colonel Nathan Fulk, Governor Kim Reynolds, Officer Codi Wurzer, Officer Gage Voshell, Officer William Ward, Kelly Sullivan, DPS Commissioner Stephan Bayens
On December 11, 2024, three officers with the Oelwein Police Department received the Sullivan Brothers' Award of Valor:
- Officer Gage Voshell
- Officer William Ward
- Officer Codi Wurzer
Narrative
In the late evening hours of February 17, 2024, a fire erupted on the fourth floor of the historic Mealey Hotel Apartments in downtown Oelwein. Immediately after being notified of the fire, first responders from around the area rushed to the scene with Oelwein Police Officers Codi Wurzer, Will Ward, and Gage Voshell being the first to arrive.
Once there, the officers quickly assessed the situation and detected smoke emanating from the fourth floor. The officers immediately began a systematic, door-to-door evacuation of the residents. As they progressed to the fourth-floor hallway, heavy smoke stung their eyes, obstructed their view, and labored their breathing. Despite the conditions and without protective equipment, the officers pressed forward and eventually encountered a particularly smoke-filled apartment. From the doorway, the officers called out to any occupants inside and over the din heard the faintest of responses.
Officer Wurzer immediately dropped to the floor and crawled inside the apartment. Despite being blinded by smoke, Officer Wurzer located a distressed and disoriented man inside. While crouched on the floor, Officer Wurzer pulled the man off a nearby couch and then called to his fellow officers for help. Officers Ward and Voshell quickly pushed through the throat-choking haze and together they drug the man from the apartment, down the hallway, and into a nearby stairwell.
Meanwhile, firefighters from throughout the area quickly descended on the scene and were able to confine the fire to that single, fourth-floor apartment. The apartment’s occupant was quickly whisked away via ambulance and treated at a nearby hospital. Meanwhile, the three officers were treated for smoke inhalation.
These three officers showed exceptional courage and judgment, knowing that immediate action was necessary. They disregarded their own safety by plunging inside a smoke-billowing apartment without the benefit of safety equipment and saved a life.
In recognition of their bravery and commitment to duty, Officers Codi Wurzer, Will Ward, and Gage Voshell have been selected to receive the Sullivan Brothers' Award of Valor. Their heroic actions exemplify the very essence of this award and showcased a level of dedication and selflessness that went well beyond the normal demands of their duties.
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