© Provided by KMPH – Fresno-Visalia
Arthur Caballero of Fresno was posthumously awarded with the Carnegie Medal on Wednesday morning at Fresno City Hall from Mayor Jerry Dyer.
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In 2020, the 62-year-old painter was enjoying a day of fishing near the Kings River bank when he noticed a 7-year-old girl struggling through the fast-moving waters. Caballero saw the girl moving into deep water where the swift current picked up pace. That is when he entered into the river’s waters and pulled the girl safely toward the bank. Unfortunately, Caballero was overtaken by the swift current and later died at the hospital. The young girl pulled safely to shore.
© Provided by KMPH – Fresno-Visalia
The history of the Carnegie Medal Award
According to the Mayor’s Office, the Carnegie Medal is awarded by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, which was established in 1904 to recognize outstanding acts of selfless heroism. Those who receive the medal demonstrate great heroism, risking death or possible severe harm to an extreme degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others in the community. The award is described as “North America’s highest honor for civilian heroism.”
No amount of medals or recognition can bring Arthur back – but we at the City of Fresno and our friends at the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission hope that this gesture makes them proud of Arthur and the courageous man he was, said Mayor Jerry Dyer.
More than 10,000 Carnegie Medals have been awarded since the Fund’s inception in 1904. The honor goes beyond the medal. Monetary donations totaling nearly $44 million have been given in the form of grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continued assistance.
“Mr. Caballero acted without hesitation, and persevered under extreme conditions to save a 7-year-old girl, ultimately sacrificing his own life in the process,” said Eric Zahren, Carnegie Hero Fund Commission President. “There is no greater love than that which compelled him to save a child he did not know, and his sacrifice will always be remembered.”