Community Corner
Carnegie Hero: North Bay Man Posthumously Honored For Saving Son
Mir Khaled Ahmad was 41 years old June 23, 2018 when he jumped into the American River to save his 9-year-old son from drowning.
VACAVILLE, CA — A late Vacaville man was named a Carnegie Hero for saving the life of his son from drowning in the American River, according to the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, which gives the honor.
Mir Khaled Ahmad, who was 41 years old when he jumped into the American River near Kyburz in El Dorado County, is among 18 people who will receive the award in 2019.
According to the commission, the award is the greatest a civilian can get for heroism in the U.S. and Canada.
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Ahmad was on a family outing to the American River on June 23, 2018, when his 9-year-old son Mir Zahed Ahmad fell into the river from a rock.
Ahmad did not know how to swim and bear-hugged Mir and lifted him to get his head above the water. Ahmad went under and came up many times before pushing his son to a rock.
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A man on the rock held out a stick, which Mir grabbed and the man pulled the boy to safety.
Ahmad went under the water and was found dead downstream. He drowned.
Each of the 18 award recipients will receive a Carnegie Medal, which is given to heroes for extraordinary heroism. Carnegie Medals have been awarded since 1904, and the award was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
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