2006 Holcomb Youth Hall of Fame Award presented to Chris Vonasek
Chris Vonasek has just graduated from Philomath High School where he participated in choir and theatre. He has been a member of the Philomath Fire Department Explorer Post most of his life and has been a member of the 4H Ridge Riders for 9 years.
In September of last year, the 4H Ridge Riders were in the Florence area for their final trail ride of the year and a campout. Chris was riding with 14-year-old Kirha Doerr, his neighbor, along a narrow trail headed up to the camp site. Kirha’s horse, Stewart, lost his footing and went off the steep embankment with horse and rider falling 25 – 30 feet. Chris immediately called his mother on his cell phone to get help. She was 1 ½ miles ahead at the camp. Chris then scrambled down the embankment. He found the 1100 pound horse had fallen on top of Kirah and all he could see was part of one arm and part of one leg. Chris’s training with horses and emergencies had taught him to remain calm and keep the horse calm so he wouldn’t cause any more harm to Kirah. He slowly removed the saddle and bridle and carefully got the horse off of Kirah. He checked her over and determined it was safe to get her slowly and carefully up the cliff to the trail. By that time the EMT’s were there with a backboard and they packed her off to the hospital. It was a miracle she wasn’t badly hurt. Her riding helmet was crushed. She WAS badly bruised and scraped, but amazingly nothing was broken.
It was Chris’s quick action and his calm demeanor that surely saved Kirah and Stewart that day. Chris recently received the Oregon Fire Chiefs’ Assn. Medal of Valor, the second highest award in the fire service. He is the youngest recipient to date. Chris plans to attend LBCC for an associates degree in applied science and then go to either Chemeketa or Lane Community College for their Firefighter /Paramedic Program. He comes by these interests naturally as both his mother, Terri Walters, and his father, Cary Vonasek, are firefighters in Philomath. They were with him at the presentation as were Kirah Doerr and Chris’s grandparents, Gene and Virginia Walters and Tammy Skubinna, Benton County 4H Director.
Chris was given a copy of the Holcomb Hero statue that stands as a testament to young people who have gone above and beyond with acts of heroism and valor as well as a check for $4,000.