HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission honored several waterways conservation officers for lifesaving rescues, impaired-boating enforcement and environmental investigations during its July 27 quarterly meeting in Harrisburg.
Four officers received Lifesaving Awards for rescuing a person who entered the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh’s 7th Street Bridge on May 24.
According to the commission, officers Matt Kauffman and Abigail Luteri heard a splash while patrolling nearby and maneuvered their boat into position after realizing someone had entered the water.
Luteri deployed a rescue aid, while Kauffman physically secured the distressed individual. Officers Michael Johnson and Matthew Scott then assisted in bringing the person aboard the patrol boat and arranging transportation for medical care.
The commission presented a separate Lifesaving Award to Officer Noah Grice for responding to a motorcycle crash the same day along U.S. Route 62 in Sandy Lake, Mercer County.
Grice encountered an unresponsive person with severe head trauma and directed a witness to call 911, according to the commission. He worked with a bystander to control the bleeding before beginning chest compressions after the injured person lost a pulse.
The commission credited Grice’s CPR with helping the person regain a pulse before an ambulance transported the individual to a hospital.
Officer Kyle Robinson received the Top Gun Award for the fourth consecutive year after recording nine boating-under-the-influence arrests in 2025.
Robinson, whose district covers Mifflin and northern Huntingdon counties, conducted 30 days of boat patrols and 764 boardings during the year. He also completed advanced training in impaired-boating detection and enforcement.
Officer Luke Walter was named the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators’ Boating Officer of the Year.
Walter conducted 47 days of boat patrols and more than 350 vessel boardings in western Erie County during 2025. His work included patrols at Presque Isle Bay and the Walnut Creek Access, as well as participation in the federally funded Operation Stonegarden initiative along Lake Erie.
Officer David Raulfs received the Northeast Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association Officer of the Year Award.
Raulfs continued investigating a major pollution incident on Roaring Brook in Lackawanna County, work the commission credited with helping produce a settlement intended to improve stream quality and fish habitat.
He also became a firearms instructor, participated in an electric-bike pilot program, conducted public education programs and assisted with trout stocking on 38 waterways across the Northeast Region.
Officer Derek Norman received the Gerald L. Greiner Environmental Protection Award after investigating nine environmental incidents in 2025.
The commission reported that those cases resulted in settlements benefiting aquatic resources. Norman also worked with the state Department of Environmental Protection and county conservation district personnel to address land disturbances and restore affected sites.
Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources—free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today.