Man Honored For Courageous Action

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

Jeff Frazier (center) is awarded with a Certificate of Recognition by Mesquite Fire Chief Jayson Andrus (right) and local resident Mike Benham (left) for exhibiting heroic lifesaving actions recently while working at the Virgin River Cafe. Photo courtesy of Mesquite Fire & Rescue.

An employee at the Virgin River Casino in Mesquite was recognized for heroic actions during a special presentation before the Mesquite City Council on Tuesday, April 13.

During the public comment period of the meeting, Mesquite Fire and Rescue Chief Jayson Andrus presented a Certificate of Recognition to Jeff Frazier who works at the Virgin River Cafe at the casino.

“While working at the Virgin River Cafe, you quickly recognized that someone was choking and performed the Heimlich maneuver,” said Andrus at the meeting while reading the text on the certificate. “I commend your willingness to step up and help. Your actions did not go unnoticed.”

Mesquite resident Michael Benham had witnessed the heroic act while dining at the Virgin River Cafe on the same day as the incident. At last week’s meeting, before the presentation, Benham shared in more detail what had taken place that day.

“I heard a commotion in the dining room and I turned around and saw that a gentleman was in distress,” Benham said.

Benham quickly got up to help. But before he could get to the choking man, Frazier had already stepped in and started the well-known first aid maneuver.
“He kept doing it and doing it and finally the guy came to life again,” Benham said. “He was really in bad shape.”

Benham said that, after the crisis was averted, he had commented to Frazier that he had followed his training well. It was then that Frazier admitted that he had never received any formal training on the maneuver. Rather he had just employed what he had seen done on television in the past, he said.
Even so, Frazier had completed the maneuver effectively, Benham said.

“Let me tell you one thing, first responders don’t ever jump in and interrupt somebody when they’re doing it perfectly,” said Benham, who is a retired fire commissioner himself. “This young man did it absolutely spot on.”

Benham concluded that over the past year with the COVID-19 pandemic, the public in Mesquite have witnessed many heroes at work, including first responders, hospital personnel, doctors and other public servants.
“Today we can add a civilian hero to that list, in my book,” Benham said.

Frazier received a standing ovation from Council members and the public following the presentation.