It was a conscious decision that I’m going in because he needs help right now. — Brandon Bair, Carnegie Medal recipient #10307
I wasn’t thinking about myself at all. I was thinking about saving the person that was in there. — Kenneth S. Andreen, Carnegie Medal recipient #10317
I didn’t think of nothing. To me, it’s normal. I couldn’t sleep with myself at night if I would have let that man die, so I just had to. — Suzanne Fortin, Carnegie Medal recipient #10319
Will’s actions and efforts were instinctively courageous and nothing short of heroic. — Mayor speaking of Horace William Drennan III, Carnegie Medal recipient #10447
We heard some screaming and you could tell it was serious by the tone in the screams. You have to realize you’re swimming into an active shark attack and it’s scary, but there’s not really an alternative and he’s one of our own and we have to go bring him in. — Carnegie Medal recipient #10458 Cameron A. Whiting
Someone needed to do something, and I was standing there. It fell on my shoulders, I guess. Everyone else kind of jumped away. What else do you do? — Carnegie Medal recipient #10461 John Catania
The mother was sitting on the lawn with her one baby and I asked her if she was all right and she said, ‘My baby is still in the house,’ and I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh my God, I have to save the baby.’ That’s how it was going to be. — Carnegie Medal recipient #10476 John J. Stickovich
Now is the time to live up to the fundamental values that reflect our nation at its best, the values of compassion, community, honesty, and decency, the values that define the people of Greenville, the people of North Carolina, and the people like a fellow who I met recently. His name is Eddie Hunnell. — (Then-)Vice President Kamala Harris regarding the actions of Carnegie Hero #10498 Eddie Hunnell