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Wharton Police Detective Richard Ornelas and Detective Sgt. Christina Kovacs of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office were on vacation at the Big Sky ski resort in Montana when they came across the injured skier face down near the south side of the mountain on Monday, March 15.
The couple saw that the woman had sustained a serious laceration toward her upper left arm — the bone was broken and exposed, and the wound was bleeding uncontrollably, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon said.
It was later discovered that the woman had crashed into a metal bridge while skiing down the mountain and was unable to move.
Ornelas, a former Marine, used a multi-tool and trauma first aid kit to stop the bleeding and stabilize the wound.
The pair then used a tourniquet and hemostatic gauze on the wound as others notified the resort’s ski patrol.
The couple continued to assist emergency responders until the woman was taken to a nearby medical facility.
“I could not be more proud of these two law enforcement processionals and I commend them for their actions, said Morris County Sheriff James Gannon.
“They epitomize what it means to serve others during their time of need. Not only were they medically equipped, but they used their expertise and advanced training to save a life, and those actions are truly commendable.”
Stephen H. Shaw, Director of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners, gave his distinct praise to the couple as well.
“There clearly is no such thing as being off-duty for the officers and first responders we have here in Morris County,” Shaw said. “In this case, we have a couple enjoying an out-of-state skiing vacation with their family, and yet they had the composure, training and dedication as public servants to spring into action when they found a seriously injured woman on the slopes.”
“Because they also carry with them some basic first-aid equipment, Detective Ornelas and Sgt. Kovacs were able to provide life-saving medical attention until help arrived. We commend them and those who trained them.”
This isn’t the first time the couple’s quick actions have been considered lifesaving: Sgt. Kovacs, who is also a member of the Morris County Office of Emergency Managements Special Operations Group, rescued a man who had been shot multiple times in July 2019, Gannon said.
“We take great pride in providing the Morris County law enforcement and all of our first responders with quality training that makes a difference in the lives of many,” said Director Jeffrey Paul of the Morris County Office of Emergency Management and Commander of the Special Operations Group.
“We have trained 2,800-plus first responders and issued over 1,000 tourniquets and medical response kits across all of our Morris County first responder disciplines, and we continue to see great lifesaving work being done by those who have been trained as part of our joint initiatives with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Morris County Chiefs of Police as well as all of the first responder agencies in Morris County.”
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