HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Three Huntsville Police Department officers have been honored after officials said they entered frigid, fast-moving floodwater to rescue a man who was stranded in a swollen creek during a December search.

According to a City of Huntsville report, Sgt. William Cunningham, Officer Douglas Morris and Officer Kristin Miller received HPD Life-Saving Medals during the Feb. 12 City Council meeting for their actions on Dec. 5, 2025.

The city said officers were sent shortly before 7:30 a.m. to the 4400 block of Millvale Drive after a resident reported that her brother had left home improperly dressed for near-freezing temperatures. Cunningham, Morris and Miller began searching the area.

During that response, a second caller reported seeing the man jump into a nearby creek that had swollen after heavy rain, according to the city. The water and vegetation made the search difficult, and officials said the creek had widened to nearly 100 feet in places.

Roughly 45 minutes into the response, the officers found the man on a small patch of grass in the middle of the creek. The city reported that he was shaking uncontrollably, pale and unable to respond coherently — signs that immediate rescue was needed.

Officials said Cunningham, Morris and Miller removed their equipment, entered the waist-deep water and carried the man back through uncertain terrain to shore, where emergency medical personnel were waiting.

Medical responders later confirmed the man’s core body temperature had dropped to 90 degrees, well below normal body temperature. Emergency personnel advised that he likely would not have survived without rapid intervention, according to the city report.

The Life-Saving Medal is one of HPD’s highest honors and is awarded under the department’s directive on Awards and Commendations. The city credited the officers’ teamwork, quick thinking and willingness to enter dangerous conditions with saving the man’s life.

Watch the official City video describing the rescue

The City of Huntsville also published source-hosted video from the Feb. 12 City Council meeting where HPD described the floodwater rescue and presented the Life-Saving Medals. The video is the official City/HSV TV presentation, not bodycam footage of the creek rescue itself. ThinBlueNews has not found a public official bodycam or dashcam video of the actual rescue.

Video source: City of Huntsville / HSV TV.

Featured image: Official City of Huntsville / Huntsville Police Department source photo from the Feb. 12 City Council recognition, with ThinBlueNews headline overlay.

ThinBlueNews will update this story if additional official information becomes available.