Electronics Technician 3rd Class Dylan and Nicki Rae Murphy received personal thanks from Oak Harbor Mayor Scott Dudley and the City Council at their meeting at City Hall April 7 for saving the lives of an elderly couple.

Late on the afternoon of March 18, 2015, they responded to an accident at the corner of Taylor and Eastern Drive in the Crescent Harbor Navy Housing area.

Murphy and his wife heard a loud noise from their home nearby. Upon investigation, they discovered a damaged vehicle had crashed through government property fencing, rupturing a gas line and causing gas to discharge over the vehicle and into the surrounding area.

He discovered a disorientated passenger and a severely injured driver bleeding from a head injury caused by a fence post smashing though the vehicle’s window. Murphy immediately directed his wife to get the medical first aid kit from their home while he rendered assistance to the injured.

Once the injured people were both removed from the area of danger, Murphy noticed that the fence post had severed the man’s left eye, and he immediately administered direct pressure to the man’s injury in order to minimize bleeding.

He then asked his wife to continue to administer first aid so that he could direct vehicle traffic away from danger until emergency personnel arrived. Murphy works at Ground Electronics at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station’s Operations Department.

The recognition ceremony is available for viewing at www.oakharbor.org/video-view.cfm?id=1474.