Some area heroes are going to be honored at the 2026 Governor’s Lifesaving Awards in Tacoma this morning.

Hosted by the Department of Labor and Industries, this ceremony honors (not professional first responders, but) everyday workers who took extraordinary action to save someone’s life while on the job.

Fifteen people will be honored this year, including Joel Olson Trucking driver Jason Beatty of Vader and Weyerhaeuser driver Brian Chastain of Winlock.

Early one morning, Beatty and Chastain heard a call on their radios to watch out for a young man, wearing all black, walking across the Hoffstadt Creek Bridge in Toutle. Beatty and Chastain located the 19-year-old as he dangled his feet, about to go over the edge of the highest bridge on Spirit Lake Highway. They stopped their logging trucks to speak with him. He stated he had just gone through a breakup and had a plan to take his own life. Remaining calm, the two drivers were able to talk him off the railing, took some prescription drugs from him, and stayed with him for an hour until medics were able to get to the scene.

Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety & Health, said, “These people were willing to step up and take action to save a life. It shows the best of humanity.”

The 2026 Governor’s Lifesaving Awards begin at 8 a.m. in Tacoma.