Clermont Co. deputy awarded Medal of Valor for saving a woman’s life

COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY RECEIVES ONE OF THE NATION’S HIGHEST HONORS FOR HIS ROLE IN SAVING A WOMAN FROM A SINKING CAR. TODAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE, PRESIDENT BIDEN AWARDED DEPUTY BOBBY PHAM THE MEDAL OF VALOR. NOW, DEPUTY PHAM SPOKE WITH ONLY WLWT AND NEWS FIVE ANCHOR LINDSEY STONE AFTER RETURNING TO D.C. LINDSEY. PRETTY IMPRESSIVE STUFF HERE. PRETTY AMAZING DAY. IMAGINE FLYING IN YESTERDAY AND COMING BACK TODAY. QUITE A 24 HOURS. AND, CHRIS, THE RESCUE HAPPENED IN NOVEMBER OF 2021 WHEN IT WAS JUST ABOUT 28 DEGREES OUTSIDE. BUT DEPUTY PHAM DIDN’T HESITATE TO JUMP INTO S4 LAKE TO SAVE THAT WOMAN. AND TODAY, HIS HEROIC ACTIONS WERE RECOGNIZED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. DEPUTY BOBBY HUE PHAM OF THE CLAREMONT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE. FOR HIS RESOLUTE DETERMINATION TO FULFILL HIS MISSION, DIVING INTO FRIGID WATERS TO SAVE A DROWNING WOMAN, A SURREAL MOMENT FOR CLERMONT COUNTY DEPUTY BOBBY PHAM. IT STILL HAS HIT ME JUST BECAUSE I DON’T FEEL LIKE IT WAS ANYTHING I DID DIFFERENT. I WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING ON EVERY CALL. JUST DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP PEOPLE. PHAM EARNED THE AWARD FOR HIS HEROIC ACTIONS A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. A WOMAN WAS MAKING SUICIDAL STATEMENTS TO A MOBILE CRISIS HELPLINE. DEPUTY PHAM THEN WITNESSED HER DRIVE DOWN A BOAT RAMP AND ENTER EAST FORK LAKE. SO A FEW SECONDS PROCESS EVERYTHING. PHAM JUMPED INTO THE WATER TO SAVE HER. SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS SCARED. SHE WAS SORRY AND THAT SHE DIDN’T WANT TO DIE ANYMORE. HE GRABBED THE WOMAN AND BEGAN PULLING HER TO SAFETY AS A CAR FULLY SUBMERGED. I WAS SO PROUD OF HIM. HE HAS THE BIGGEST HEART. AND YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WOULD GIVE HIS LIFE FOR A COMPLETE STRANGER. PROUD MOM KELLY DORMAN SAT IN THE AUDIENCE AS PRESIDENT BIDEN AWARDED HER SON THE HIGHEST HONOR, A PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER CAN RECEIVE. I’M TRYING NOT TO CRY. YES, IT WAS IT WAS CRAZY. AND I. I JUST CAN’T SAY HOW PROUD I AM. BOBBY COMES FROM A FAMILY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS. HE SAYS THE MEDAL OF VALOR MIGHT GIVE HIM SOME BRAGGING RIGHTS AT THE NEXT FAMILY DINNER. AT FIRST, IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FILL IN THEIR SHOES AND TRYING TO FOLLOW THEIR LEGACY. BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT, STARTING MY OWN LEGACY AND QUITE THE START TO A LEGACY AND IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT. DEPUTY PHAM ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS AWARD TWO DAYS AGO. HE MADE THE TRIP TO D.C. WITH HIS FAMILY. COUPLE OF HIS CHILDHOOD BEST FRIENDS. AND THEY ARE CELEBRATING BIG TONIGHT. BUT THEN, AS YOU KNOW, WITH THESE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, IT’S RIGHT BACK TO WORK. YEAH, THERE’S REALLY NO REST FOR THEM. BUT THAT’S REALLY IMPRESSIVE HOW FAST THAT TURNAROUND WAS. YOU LEARN TWO DAYS AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU’RE GETTING THIS BIG HONOR. I KNOW. AND OF COURSE, AS I MENTIONED, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FAMILY. I ASKED HIM, LIKE, WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO PUT THIS IN YOUR HOUSE? AND HE SAID, HE HAS A KIND OF A SHELF AND A STAIRWELL WHERE HE HAS PHOTOS OF ALL OF HIS FAMILY, LAW ENFORCEMENT. HE SAID, YEAH, THIS IS GOING TO GO RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. I HAVE A FEELING HE’S GOT SOME SOME STREET CRED NOW, SO. I THINK SO, TOO. AND YEAH, THIS IS GOING TO BE

Clermont Co. deputy awarded Medal of Valor for saving a woman's life

Updated: 10:41 PM EDT May 17, 2023

A Clermont County sheriff's deputy received one of the nation's highest honors for his role in saving a woman from a sinking car. Wednesday at the White House, President Biden awarded Deputy Bobby Pham the Medal of Valor. “It still hasn't hit me because it doesn't feel like I would have done anything different,” Pham said. “I would have done the same thing on every call, which is do what I can to help people.” Pham earned the award for his heroic actions a year and a half ago. A woman making suicidal statements to a mobile crisis helpline. Deputy Pham then witnessed her drive down a boat ramp into East Fork Lake. “I had a few seconds to process everything,” Pham said. He jumped into the water to save her. “She told me she was scared, she was sorry and that she didn't want to die anymore,” Pham said. He grabbed the woman and began pulling her to safety as the car fully submerged. “I'm so proud of him,” Pham’s mom, Kelly Doerman said, “He has the biggest heart. Obviously, he would give his life for a complete stranger.” Pham comes from a family of law enforcement officials. He says the Medal of Valor might give him some bragging rights at the next family dinner. “At first, it was trying to fill their shoes and follow their legacy,” Pham said. “I think, at this point, I'm starting my own legacy.”

CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio —

A Clermont County sheriff's deputy received one of the nation's highest honors for his role in saving a woman from a sinking car. Wednesday at the White House, President Biden awarded Deputy Bobby Pham the Medal of Valor.

“It still hasn't hit me because it doesn't feel like I would have done anything different,” Pham said. “I would have done the same thing on every call, which is do what I can to help people.”

Pham earned the award for his heroic actions a year and a half ago. A woman making suicidal statements to a mobile crisis helpline. Deputy Pham then witnessed her drive down a boat ramp into East Fork Lake.

“I had a few seconds to process everything,” Pham said. He jumped into the water to save her.

“She told me she was scared, she was sorry and that she didn't want to die anymore,” Pham said. He grabbed the woman and began pulling her to safety as the car fully submerged.

“I'm so proud of him,” Pham’s mom, Kelly Doerman said, “He has the biggest heart. Obviously, he would give his life for a complete stranger.”

Pham comes from a family of law enforcement officials. He says the Medal of Valor might give him some bragging rights at the next family dinner.

“At first, it was trying to fill their shoes and follow their legacy,” Pham said. “I think, at this point, I'm starting my own legacy.”