From left to right: Crispin Bottari, Jose Navarrete Sara Notman, Dana Voss, and her daughter Khloe Voss.

OKEECHOBEE-On April 23 Okeechobee County Sheriff Noel E. Stephen presented the Sheriff’s Special Recognition Award to three local residents for their part in saving a young girl’s life earlier this year.

On Jan. 22, Sara Notman witnessed an ATV rollover near her home. Rushing towards the scene of the accident, Sara found one of the passengers, a young girl named Khloe Voss, trapped underneath the vehicle.

Crispin Bottari and Jose Navarrete arrived moments later and helped lift the vehicle off of Khloe long enough for Sara to pull her out.

By this time Khloe had no pulse and her complexion was turning blue. Sara, who is trained as a respiratory therapist, immediately began administering CPR, eventually helping Khloe regain her pulse.

Crispin and Jose helped tend to the other four victims of the accident until emergency personnel arrived.

“I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you to these people for giving someone a second chance,” said Sheriff Stephen at a ceremony held in front of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office on April 23. “Today, that doesn’t happen very often.”

“The important thing is that she is ok,” said Jose. “That’s the most important part. I’d also like to recognize my son, Ish, and his uncle David who called 911 after witnessing the crash and got help out there as soon as possible.”