OREGON – The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office is recognizing Sgt. Jake Feldhaus and Deputy Jacob Breitbach with the Sheriff’s Lifesaving Award for separate incidents in 2026 in which their actions helped save the lives of others. Breitbach received the award for his response to a single vehicle crash in April, where he found a person trapped in the vehicle with significant bleeding and applied a tourniquet. Feldhaus was recognized for his response to a crash on Interstate 39 last week, where he removed one child from a vehicle and then returned to find another child submerged underwater. He freed the child from the safety restraints and provided first aid until additional medical help arrived. Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said both deputies acted quickly during critical situations.
“You have to be able to jump in and be able to make those decisions and take those actions so that we can save those lives, even if it’s not our job,” VanVickle said.
The Sheriff’s Office said the awards recognize decisive actions, training and a willingness to act during critical incidents. VanVickle also said deputies receive ongoing CPR and first aid training, including instruction from part time deputies who are paramedics.
