A Parks Bureau Deputy who rescued three people from drowning in Pyramid Lake in January was presented with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lifesaving Award during ceremonies Wednesday in Monterey Park.

On January 8, Parks Bureau Deputy Richard Nichol responded to a call of three men attempting to swim to shore in the 47-degree water of Pyramid after their aluminum fishing boat had capsized. They had been in the water about 10 minutes and the water’s temperature was beginning to affect their ability to stay afloat.

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Nichol was able to pull all three large men from the water into the rescue boat by himself, including one of the victims who was losing consciousness because of the cold. He and his fellow deputies began warming procedures until paramedics arrived and continued treatment. The men were taken to the hospital and treated for hypothermia.

The men, ages 31, 38 and 40, were Porter Ranch residents. Some of them attended Tuesday’s ceremony where Nichol was honored along with 16 other department employees recognized for their selfless dedication to the safety of others.

Among the honorees was Dispatcher Richard Engersbach, who on Oct. 17,  assisted a mother stuck in a runaway car. In 2010, he helped rescue two people from a burning building.

Sheriff’s personnel being honored included staff from the following stations: Century Regional Detention Facility, Compton Station, Court Services West Bureau, Crescenta Valley Station, Facilities Maintenance, Marina del Rey Station, Mira Loma Detention Center, Palmdale Station, Parks Bureau, Temple Station, and Transit Services Bureau South.