October 30, 2021 – Fresno Correctional Officer Paul Haros placed himself in danger to save a man’s life and for it he has been awarded the Life Saving Medal under Valor.

On October 13, 2020, at about 6:00 A.M., Fresno County Sheriff’s Correctional Officer Paul Haros was assigned to the Fresno County Sheriff Jail Inmate Transportation Unit. Correctional Officer Haros had just finished transporting a Fresno County Jail inmate to Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC) Hospital when he was notified by a hospital staff member that there was a suicidal man (31-years-old) lying across a set of nearby railroad tracks located near the intersection of Divisadero St. and Tuolumne St. Correctional Officer Haros drove to the location and saw a man lying on his back directly across the railroad tracks. He was yelling that he wanted to kill himself.

Correctional Officer Haros broadcast via his radio to Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch that he was out with this man and needed the assistance of a patrol deputy. For about two minutes, Correctional Officer Haros spoke with the man and tried to convince him to get up and get off of the railroad tracks, but he adamantly refused. A couple minutes later, Haros was advised that a train was headed their way. Haros soon heard the sound of the train and began to desperately plead with the man to get up due to the oncoming train, however, the man remain committed to staying on the tracks.

Haros then made the decision to directly put himself in harm’s way. He went out onto the railroad tracks as the train edged closer. Once out on the tracks, Haros reached down and grabbed one of the man’s arms and began trying to drag him to safety. The man resisted and yelled, “Just let me die!” Right before the train was about to hit them both, a good Samaritan appeared and helped loosen the man’s grip, allowed Haros to gain leverage and drag the man to safety just as the train whizzed by. The man continued to be resistant and attempted to lunge back toward the moving train, but Haros and a patrol deputy were able to get him under control and detain him for his own safety. The man was transported to a mental health facility for evaluation. The good Samaritan vanished and was nowhere to be found by Haros after the train passed through.

Source: Fresno County Sheriff's Office