The American Red Cross honored four heroic lifeguards with its highest accolade on Friday at the Glenwood Hot Springs Athletic Club. 

Western Slope Chapter Executive Director Christie Caster awarded the American Red Cross Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders to Matthew Helms, 16, Charlie Mauer, 16, Kenia Contreras, 24, and Landon Boren, 19. Their quick action and expertise were crucial in saving the life of Terry Tracy, 61, during a medical emergency on Aug. 30.

Tracy, a well-known track and field coach at Steamboat Springs High School and former football coach, suffered a cardiac arrest that day. The incident occurred while he was playing handball at the athletic club. Helms, first on the scene, immediately radioed for help, setting in motion a life-saving response.

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Contreras and Mauer sprang into action, performing CPR on the unresponsive Tracy. Helms, as well as Boren, who was recognized at the event but unable to receive the award in person, prepared the Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Their coordinated effort resulted in Tracy showing signs of life, eventually stabilizing him until emergency services arrived.

The lifesaving award was created in 2018 and has awarded 2,537 individuals for saving 1,292 lives worldwide.

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“Today we are excited to be able to add to that number of heroes,” Caster said.

“What is a hero? A hero is a person admired for achievements and noble qualities,” Caster continued. “One who shows great courage and a person who’s idealized for outstanding achievements, and I think saving lives without question fits all of those definitions, and that’s why we are here today.”

Glenwood Hot Springs Pool Manager Taylor Mays also received recognition with the American Red Cross Lifesaving Instructor Award.

“From an instructor’s standpoint, it’s always interesting to see what your lifeguards are able to do when they are not right next to you,” Mays said. “These lifeguards put in countless hours of training for cases like this, and for us and for these guards receiving this award, they were able to save a man’s life and that’s a big deal that they should be very proud of themselves for.”

Tracy, reflecting on the incident, expressed gratitude for the guards on deck that day.

“It’s unexplainable,” Tracy said. “I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for these people and them doing the job they were taught. I owe my life to them, as well as Dr. [Qaisar] Khan and the staff at Valley View Hospital.”

Contreras, who serves as the assistant aquatics manager and had previously administered CPR twice prior to the incident, praised the young lifeguards’ response. 

“I knew this was the boys’ first time, and luckily it wasn’t my first time,” Contreras said. “You could tell they were a little hesitant at first, but I told them to trust their training and they did. I’m proud of them. They are just kids and they did exactly what they needed to do.”

Tracy’s return to the Hot Springs to meet and thank his rescuers two days after the event added a personal touch, as well as a relieving one, to their extraordinary deed. 

“We didn’t have to sit there wondering if we did a good job,” Contreras said. “It was something that we all appreciated him doing, because it eased our heads. Usually you do everything you can, and once EMS takes them away, you don’t know the end result. We were thankful for him coming back.”