Hahn Releases Statement Honoring Sheriff’s Deputies Who Saved Child from Drowning at Don Knabe Park

Cerritos, CA – On the evening of Saturday, March 29, deputies from the Sheriff’s Cerritos station received a call from two boys about a toddler possibly drowning in the lake at Don Knabe Community Regional Park in Cerritos. The deputies responded and rescued the toddler, who was later transported to a hospital as a precaution. This morning, the City of Cerritos and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department held a press conference to honor the responding deputies.

Supervisor Janice Hahn, who represents Cerritos, issued the following statement:

“We teach our kids that when they see someone in need of help, they should call 9-1-1. But in an emergency, when the time comes to dial those numbers and make yourself part of scary situation, many bystanders might hesitate.

Those brave boys did not. They made that leap and called for the help that a 3-year-old child so desperately needed. I join their families and communities in thanking and congratulating them.

Here in LA County, we have the best first responders in the nation. In a county as vast as ours, anything can go wrong, and they are our first line of defense to protect human life. That evening, our Cerritos Sheriff’s station received what must be one of the worst calls imaginable. But their training and commitment to the safety of our public never faltered.  

Deputies Viveros, Alvarez, Mutum, Mailloux, and Chavez and dispatcher Gutierrez represent the very best of our LA County family. For the rest of that child’s life, their extraordinary actions at Don Knabe Park on that Saturday evening will have made everything possible. I am thankful for their service.”