WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – The American Red Cross on Aug. 27 gave the Lifesaving Award for Extraordinary Personal Action to Brunswick County Detention Officers Wayne Covington and Kenneth Boyd, Jr.

A ceremony was held at the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, where James Jarvis, the Executive Director of the Cape Fear Chapter of the American Red Cross, presented the men with the award for their use of life-saving skills.

The men helped save a woman’s life while she was incarcerated at the county jail back in March. The Red Cross says the woman asked the officers a question but stopped speaking and started bending forward at the waist. She couldn’t respond when asked if she was okay, and it turned out she was choking.

Officer Boyd called for assistance while Covington put her on the bench to keep her from falling and gave he three blows between the shoulder blades to dislodge the blockage, the Red Cross announcement says. She then responded “yes,” and medical staff took over soon after.

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