Helping swimmers in distress and multiple victims of a bad traffic accident were among the efforts by Hawaii County rescue crews honored Saturday at the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation awards ceremony.

The ceremony at the Fairmont Orchid honored firefighters, lifeguards and ambulance crews for meritorious service, West Hawaii Today reports.

This year’s honorees included Capts. Michael Andrade and Charles Spain; Fire Equipment Operator David Mahon; Fire Rescue Specialists Dustin Frechette, Riley Young, Lyle Tamaribuchi and Carl Pires; and firefighters Yurik Resetnikov and Tay Soares for their efforts in the recovery of a swimmer at Hapuna Beach. Water Safety Officer Jason Nixon was recognized for his rescue of another swimmer in distress.

Fire Medical Specialist 2 Bertram Carvalho Jr. was honored for his triage expertise in a severe motor vehicle accident involving multiple injuries.

Fire Equipment Officer Donald Awa won kudos for his rescue of an assault victim, and Battalion Chief Michael Hayashida and Fire Inspector Palani Kurashige were recognized for the rescue of a drowning child in a hotel pool.

The nonprofit foundation, currently in its 18th year, is dedicated to providing equipment and training to the Hawaii County Fire Department, which includes emergency medical services, ocean safety and sea search and rescue. For more information go to

danielsayrefoundation.com

.