An Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper from the Dayton post and two Dayton police officers received the prestigious superintendent’s citation of merit award. They’re being recognized for saving the life of a man who jumped into the Great Miami River. On February 21, a suspect led trooper Zachary Witmer on a 3-mile chase before jumping into the Great Miami River. “He went under the water and I saw his hands above the water waving and at that point I realized he was probably drowning. I decided that I needed to go in and help him out,” said Trooper Zachary Witmer with Ohio State Highway Patrol. Officers Cody Lindsey and Jonathan Miniard arrived and jumped right in to help. “There was no good way to get down to the river so I decided just to slide down the embankment. Once I got down there we ran into the water and helped pull him and the suspect to shore,” said Dayton Police Officer Cody Lindsey. They performed CPR until medics arrived on scene before going to get treated themselves for minor possible hyperthermia. On Wednesday, they were awarded for their bravery and compassion. Witmer said receiving this award has made his career come full circle. “The whole reason I got into this is because my father was a state trooper and he was involved in an incident where he was awarded the same thing, and it ended his career because of an injury. Just to know that I’m receiving the same award that he did and so many other state troopers have gotten…it means a lot,” he said. Officer Miniard said their actions speak to the special bond DPD has with Dayton post troopers. “You see a lot of things out in this world that normal everyday people don’t see so we have this understanding of each other of how to back each other up,” he said.