ELLSWORTH, Maine — An officer with the Ellsworth Police Department was honored by his peers last weekend with a heroism award for rescuing a man from a burning car in October.
In the early-morning hours of Oct. 9, Officer Andrew Weatherbee responded to a call about a car that had driven off Bayside Road, a rural street that extends from downtown Ellsworth. The car had rolled over and was beginning to burn with the driver still inside, but bystanders had been unable to open the vehicle.
With flames engulfing the engine, Weatherbee quickly shattered the car’s rear window using his collapsible baton and pulled the victim from the vehicle just as the fire began entering the passenger compartment, Weatherbee’s supervising officer said at the time.
The driver — 33-year-old Shaun Parsons of Tremont — was flown by LifeFlight helicopter to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor for treatment of injuries not considered life-threatening.
On Saturday, Weatherbee received the Maine Association of Police’s heroism award during the organization’s annual banquet, held in Portland. Criteria for the award states that the recipient is someone who, “under adverse conditions, prevents a death or serious injury” during an incident that posed “some degree of hazard to life and limb” to the officer.
Ellsworth Police Chief John DeLeo said the award was well deserved because Parsons likely would have been severely burned or killed had Weatherbee not acted so quickly despite the obvious danger to himself.
“It was a great job on his part,” DeLeo said. “Without even thinking about it, he broke the window and dragged the guy out.”
Weatherbee said while he knew he had been nominated, he didn’t learn that he had won until Saturday night’s banquet, where he was presented with a plaque.
He said it was an honor to be recognized by his colleagues but added modestly that he was only doing his job.
“It’s not needed,” Weatherbee said of the award, “but it is always nice.”
Bayside Road is not a rural street. It is in fact a state highway known as RT 230. True it is not as built as RT 3 is but nonetheless I dont think rural is an accurate description.
That is all you came uo with our of this article.
Good Job Officer….. I hope that if there is ever a chance I am going to burn to death that you are there and not SalArg!
double post
Im not a police officer but I would do my best to save you from a burning vehicle if I came upon the scene. Part of a police officers job is to rescue people from dangerous situations and prevent the loss of life. I think it goes with out saying that he did a fine job.
It is if you are from southern Maine or many places from outside the state or area.
Nice work! Thank you for being so brave!!!! To he or she that doesnt get it, He didnt HAVE to do this! Noone would have shunned him if he didnt, Very thankful for this officer being so brave.
Thank you to you and all who serve.
You would think BDN could take a picture showing a young man doing a wonderful job and being recognized for it. I bet money on it had it been about a cop being “accused” of something they would get a great picture then….jeeesshhh BDN you guys are becoming terrible and worthless
The picture is pretty good if you click on it. They just did a poor job of cropping it.
Great job officer.
This man does deserve this award! Our police officers do a fantastic job on duty as well as off. I read a lot of post that put the police down but remember, the police don’t make the laws, they only enforce them. Congrats Officer Weatherbee, hope to see you as a sargent someday!
Officer Weatherbee, thank you for being the person you are. Thank you for going above and beyond.
You are truly appreciated.