Virginia: DWR presents department lifesaving award to Daniel Harrington

At the quarterly August meeting of the Board of Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) presented the first department-wide lifesaving award to Daniel Harrington.

Harrington is the DWR regional forester in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth and on April 3, 2024, his keen attention to detail and personal selflessness saved someone’s life.

April 3 was an unseasonably cold day as Harrington was wrapping up a long day at Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The WMA was going to be closed for a couple days prior to Virginia Trout Heritage Day so Harrington made a point to check the area one last time before locking the gate to ensure no one was stranded inside. Despite the weather, Harrington drove his truck with the window down and at one point, about a mile from the gate, he heard someone call out. He stopped the truck to listen and heard someone call out again.

After a short search, Harrington spotted a man on a steep slope approximately 40 feet down the mountain from the roadway. The man’s vehicle had run off the road and was on the banks of Big Tumbling Creek about 165 feet down the mountain. The man, severely injured, crawled as far as he could but was in desperate need of aid and rescue. Harrington crawled down to him but could not get him to the road alone. Harrington secured the man to a tree with tow straps to keep him from falling back down and then drove to where he knew he could get cell phone coverage to call for help. Once help was on the way, Harrington returned to the man and administered first aid until Saltville EMS arrived.

Harrington has been with DWR since 1995 and served the majority of his tenure in western Virginia. His extraordinary actions and constant professionalism are a point of pride for the department and represent a true service to the residents of Virginia.

As part of recognizing Harrington’s extraordinary actions, the Department realized a lifesaving award inclusive of employees and volunteers outside of the Law Enforcement Division did not exist. With the presentation of the award, a process is now in place to recognize any employee or volunteer that acts to save the life of another during their regular work duties.