City Recognizes High School Senior For Selfless Heroics
City Recognizes High School Senior For Selfless Heroics
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
City Recognizes High School Senior For Selfless HeroicsFor his selfless and heroic actions on Father’s Day, Warsaw Community High School senior and football player Connor Suissi was recognized by Mayor Joe Thallemer and the Common Council Tuesday evening.
The Times-Union first reported on Connor’s heroics July 1.
“Oftentimes, things come up that you just can’t look away, you’ve got to notice, when someone does something miles away, on their own, with their own purpose and no one knows anything about it. We had one such incident occur June 20,” Thallemer said.
Connor was with his family at Washington Park in Michigan City for a Father’s Day celebration. While they were enjoying the beach, they noticed a bus pulled up and a bunch of young people got off. Being a hot day, the young people decided to go straight to the water, Thallemer said. Connor and his family, having been there awhile, knew there a rip current developed in some areas. Connor kept an eye on the group and saw that the kids were heading toward an area that wasn’t safe. As the kids got pulled out by the rip current, the water got deeper.
“We oftentimes honor our emergency services employees for saving people’s lives, for doing the Heimlich, for going into a building and pulling someone out. And those things are very, very important and it’s really important that we not take those life-saving measures for granted,” Thallemer said. “But when we have a young man with the abilities that Connor had, and his mental state was to be on guard, he had his family members, he was thinking about what he would have done had this been one of his family members.”
The way Connor and his mom, Jaimee Suissi, described it, Thallemer said, “When he saw some people were in trouble, he just got up and took off. He didn’t think about ‘Should I do this?’ ‘Where’s the lifeguard?’ These girls were in trouble.”
Jaimee followed Connor and, between the two of them, they pulled four young girls out of the rip current. Thallemer said Jaimee told him it was “instinctual” for her as a mom. What made it “really special” for her, Thallemer said, was to see her son take that first move and take off to help the young girls. He knew what he had to do.
When it was time for Connor to stand up and be counted, Thallemer said Connor didn’t think about heroism or anything else. All he thought about was getting that group of girls out of the rip current.
“There was a point where someone needed to act, and this young man acted,” Thallemer said, standing between Connor and Jaimee. “They were both heroes that day. Connor lead the charge. Connor went out there and did what he thought was best and between the two of them, saved four young girls.”
A lifeguard pulled out a fifth girl. A sixth girl was airlifted to a hospital, but Thallemer said nothing more was known about her at this time.
“But the important thing was there was certainly potential for disaster written all over this. If it weren’t for the quick action of this young man and his mother, enjoying a day with their family and father, we wouldn’t be standing here today and it would have been a totally different story,” Thallemer said.
Connor said what went through his mind at that time was his sisters and what he would want someone to do if his sisters were in that situation. “I would want someone to go out there and jump in and save their lives, even if it meant risking their own lives,” Connor said. “And, really, I just wanted to make sure those girls didn’t die out there.”
Jaimee said it was one of her proudest moments of him. She said she could have lost him, but he didn’t think twice. “He just went right out there and pulled them out. He definitely did not think about his future or anything. Just worried about them and getting them up to safety. I’m so proud of him,” she said.
Warsaw Community High School football coach Bart Curtis was the first person she texted about what Connor did, telling Curtis how proud she was of her son. “One of your boys did something so selfless,” she texted to Curtis, who she credits with helping Connor become a better man.
Thallemer then presented Connor with a plaque from the city of Warsaw, which states: “This award is proudly presented to Connor Suissi in grateful recognition and sincere appreciation of his prompt and selfless life-saving action on Sunday, June 20, 2021. Connor’s personal initiative and prompt response without thought to his personal safety resulting in saving the life of others, is one of the highest obligations to humanity. Connor’s valor and heroic efforts will serve as an inspiration to others.”
Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory EMS Chief Chris Fancil then presented Connor with the “Lifesaver” medal.
“At the fire department, and in emergency services in general, we don’t take lightly the fact that we do put ourselves at risk for the benefit of others,” Fancil said. “That being said, we couldn’t be more proud of what you did. You didn’t do it for yourself, you did just as a response because you knew it was the right thing to do.”
He told Connor he made everyone in the room, and everyone that will hear his story, “extremely proud” of him.
In presenting Connor with the medal, Fancil said it was designed “specifically for this instance. So you’re the first one that’s received this medal from the fire department.”
Fire Chief Mike Wilson told Connor that “we are very proud that you are a part of our community. Always remember this is home, no matter where you go, and it will always love you coming back. Thank you for what you do because it is priceless.”
Connor then introduced all his family who came with them to the Council meeting, including his siblings, grandparents, girlfriend and Curtis.
The only thing Curtis added was, “No. 41 on the program, No. 1 in your heart.”
Thallemer said this was the first time he got to do something like this in his 10 years as mayor.
“We don’t want to have to do these things, but when the situation arises, it’s just so heartwarming to know that we’ve got this type of individual and family in our community,” Thallemer concluded.
