Canadian County deputies honored for actions after El Reno tornado
CANADIAN COUNTY, Okla. – Two Canadian County law enforcement officers were honored for their actions during a deadly tornado.
Around 10:20 p.m. on May 25, a tornado warning was issued for Canadian County after a tornado was spotted in the area and on radar. Residents in the El Reno area had only a few minutes of warning before the tornado touched down.
The American Budget Value Inn in El Reno suffered extensive damage as the tornado took off the motel’s second floor, leaving behind a pile of rubble.
The Sky View Mobile Home Park, which is located near the hotel, also suffered extensive damage due to the tornado. Officials say multiple mobile homes were flipped and torn apart, creating a massive amount of debris throughout the area.
Canadian County Deputies Robert Baysinger and Jeffrey Bouillon rushed to the mobile home park and immediately began searching for victims.
The twisted sheet metal forced the deputies to crawl on their hands and search to search for survivors who were trapped inside their homes. Officials say they were able to rescue a victim who suffered multiple injuries when their home collapsed on top of them during the tornado.
The deputies applied tourniquets to stop the bleeding and save the victim's life. They were able to carry the victim out to paramedics.
Baysinger and Bouillon returned back to the scene to continue search and rescue efforts.
On Friday, they were honored by the Oklahoma Sheriff's Association with lifesaving awards for their heroic actions in the aftermath of the storm.