City of Vinton, Louisiana, Chief of Police Scott Spell presented the Carnegie Medal to Police Sergeant Dempsey Lavergne III at a presentation held at Governor Jeff Landry’s office in Baton Rouge. In attendance was Lavergne’s family, Spell, and Police Deputy Chief Mary Pierrottie.
Lavergne was awarded the medal after he saved a 4-year-old girl and her grandmother from drowning inside their submerging vehicle on July 15, 2022, in Vinton.
Ellyse R. Mercer, 4, and her grandmother Pamela A. Dennis, 54, were inside an SUV that left a road and continued down an embankment into a canal. The vehicle came to rest about 30 feet from a bank in the canal as it began to submerge in water 10 feet deep. Lavergne, a 31-year-old police sergeant, was alerted to the incident by radio and responded to the bank. Bystanders told him that Ellyse and Dennis were trapped in the vehicle; one of them providing him with a pocketknife that had a glass-breaking tool. He descended the bank and removed some of his equipment before he swam out to the vehicle. Water quickly filled the front-passenger compartment as Dennis moved to the rear, removed Ellyse from her car seat, and held her above the water. Lavergne heard them screaming and arrived at the rear of the vehicle, where he stood on the bumper and broke out the glass of the rear windshield. He reached inside to grasp Ellyse by an arm as Dennis handed her to him. Once Ellyse was out of the vehicle, he held her above the water’s surface and swam to shallow water. A bystander aided her to safety as Lavergne returned to the rear of the vehicle. He again partially entered through the rear-windshield where Dennis handed him a small dog. Lavergne exited and tossed the dog toward the bank where it swam to safety. Lavergne returned to the SUV’s rear and was joined by a police corporal. By this point, the SUV had almost completely submerged and Dennis was submerged. Lavergne climbed onto the roof and broke out the sunroof glass with the same tool. The corporal followed his lead onto the roof as Lavergne leaned inside through the broken-out sunroof. He submerged his head and found Dennis’ hand where he grasped it to lift her upward. Once her shoulders were above the opening, Lavergne and the corporal lifted her the rest of the way out. The corporal then towed her to shallow water and was aided by another bystander to take her to safety on the bank. Lavergne, too, exited the canal. Both Ellyse and Dennis were taken to the hospital by ambulance for scratches. Dennis had also swallowed water and broke her right ankle attempting to kick open the sinking vehicle’s window, which required surgery. They recovered. Lavergne was not injured.
“Sgt. Lavergne represents what it means to serve with courage, integrity, and selflessness,” Police Chief Spell said. “His actions on that day did not just make a difference; they saved lives. We are incredibly proud to have him as part of our department.”
