Senate Resolution No. 5093

BY: Senator RITCHIE

HONORING Trooper Aaron C. Eastwood upon the
occasion of his designation as recipient of a
Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an
individual by the New York State Senate

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made
significant contributions to the quality of life therein; and

WHEREAS, From time to time this Legislative Body takes note of
certain extraordinary individuals it wishes to recognize for their
valued contributions to the success and progress of society and publicly
acknowledge their endeavors which have enhanced the basic humanity among
all of us; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Trooper
Aaron C. Eastwood upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of
a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the
New York State Senate; and

WHEREAS, The New York State Senate Liberty Medal was established by
Resolution and is awarded to individuals who have merited special
commendation for exceptional, heroic, or humanitarian acts on behalf of
their fellow New Yorkers; and

WHEREAS, On May 16, 2017, Trooper Aaron C. Eastwood responded to a
call of a boat in distress at the Oneida River Dam located in
Caughdenoy, in which two males were trapped onboard, one of them being a
paraplegic; and

WHEREAS, When he reached the waterway, Trooper Aaron C. Eastwood
observed the boat taking on water, as it was caught in the current and
pinned in one of the floodgate channels; and

WHEREAS, Trooper Aaron C. Eastwood, upon arriving on the scene,
sprang into action, jumping a fence surrounding the structure, climbing
down the steel supports on the side of the dam and jumping onboard,
thinking he could level the boat with his weight; and

WHEREAS, While on the boat, Trooper Aaron C. Eastwood crawled under
the flood channel to the east side of the dam, however, once the boat
passed through the channel, the current was still too strong to pull it
to shore; and

WHEREAS, The boat, which did not have any paddles onboard and had
damaged primary and trolling motors, continued to take on water,
drifting uncontrollably down the river; at the same time, the boat's
passengers had been exposed to near-freezing water temperatures for 30
minutes; and

WHEREAS, At this point, Trooper Aaron C. Eastwood discovered a strap
on board, tied it to a cleat on the bow and dove into the river; while
trying to swim to shore, he ran out of line, struggling to reach land

despite the heavy weight of the craft and the strength of the current;
and

WHEREAS, Eventually, the boat passed under another bridge and
Trooper Aaron C. Eastwood was able to find a calm, shallow spot near a
bridge abutment where he could finally stand up; and

WHEREAS, Upon reaching shore, members of the Caughdenoy Volunteer
Fire Department, along with Oswego County Sheriff's Deputy Phillip
Illardi helped pull the boat with the two males on board safely to
shore; and

WHEREAS, Individuals such as Trooper Aaron C. Eastwood, are devoted
to protecting others, going above and beyond and putting their own
well-being on the line to protect those who they serve; now, therefore,
be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Trooper Aaron C. Eastwood upon the occasion of his designation as
recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an
individual by the New York State Senate; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Trooper Aaron C. Eastwood.