NW New Mexico News

From February 19, 2023 post.

On January 13, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office held our annual awards banquet where we celebrate the great work of our staff. Over the course of a few weeks, we will highlight some of these awards and the staff that earned them.

Today we recognize Deputy Gabriel Stow who received the Lifesaving Medal. The Lifesaving Medal is presented to members whose quick actions and selfless response saved the life of another.

On April 11, 2022, Deputy Stow responded to a residence in Kirtland where he found a victim with a severe laceration on her arm below the elbow. Recognizing that the victim was bleeding severely Deputy Stow applied a tourniquet to control the

bleeding. The victim was then transported to the hospital by ambulance where she underwent surgery. It was later learned that the laceration was so severe that the arm was nearly amputated, and she likely would have died, or lost her arm. Because the bleeding was effectively controlled early, the victim survived, and her arm was saved as well. Deputy Stow is to be commended for his quick and decisive actions in this life-threatening situation. His actions not only saved the life of a citizen of San Juan County, but also preserved her quality of life by saving her arm. He is a credit to this Office, and this community.

Original source can be found here.