An off-duty Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy, Trevor Valentine, was honored with the OCSO Life Saving Award for his heroic actions. Valentine saved a Crestview mother and her 2-year-old daughter from a horrifying dog attack on the day after Christmas last year.
While enjoying a quiet day with his family, Deputy Valentine heard desperate cries for help echoing in the distance. Unable to pinpoint the origin of the screams, he jumped into his truck and followed the distressing sounds. His search led him to a house where he found a woman lying in the fetal position on the ground in the backyard, fending off an attack by two large dogs.
Without wasting a moment, Deputy Valentine sprang into action. He managed to secure both dogs in an enclosed back porch, effectively preventing any further attacks. It was then he noticed the woman was not alone in her ordeal.
- Underneath her was her 2-year-old daughter, Sophia, who had also been attacked by the dogs. The deputy observed injuries on Sophia’s head and face. Swiftly, he used his shirt to apply pressure to the wounds, simultaneously urging his wife to dial 9-1-1.
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Sophia suffered a puncture wound on the back of her neck that penetrated her cerebellum, cranial compression fractures, and numerous lacerations on her scalp and left eyelid. These wounds required multiple stitches to reattach parts of her scalp and eyelids, according to the OCSO.
The mother, who is friends with the dogs’ owners and was at the house to feed and let them out, sustained multiple puncture wounds on her left hand, right arm, and under her right eye, some of which required stitches.
In a later meeting with Deputy Valentine in January, the mother expressed her deep gratitude for his intervention, saying, “I believe Deputy Trevor Valentine’s intervention saved my daughter’s life.” She, along with Sophia, has since fully recovered and moved out of the area.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office recognized the bravery and timely intervention of Deputy Valentine. Sheriff Eric Aden presented him with the Life Saving Award, a token of appreciation for his courage and tenacity. The award was well-deserved, and the entire OCSO is relieved and thankful that Sophia and her mom made a full recovery.
One Response
Thank you Deputy Valentine for your instinctive alert of trouble and your swift courageous actions. No doubt, you saved the lives of this mother and child. Your heroic action reminds me of St. Michael, the patron Saint of Law Enforcement. Godspeed.