On Feb. 22 at the River Lodge in Fortuna, a Whitethorn man, Ian Louth, will be one of the recipients of The American Red Cross 2012 Humboldt Heroes award.

Louth, who is a first responder and has some paramedic training, was surfing at Eureka's North Jetty in October when a young man was bitten by a great white shark. Because of his skill-set Louth was able to mobilize others into action as well as work on getting the bleeding from the bite under control.

Louth and two other men loaded the victim into a truck and drove to meet the ambulance that had been called. Louth kept continual pressure on the victim, Scott Stephens, to keep the bleeding under control and minimize shock, while keeping the victim calm. The other young man provided him with the support and assistance he needed. The victim was safely handed over to ambulance personnel and taken to the hospital where he survived.

The doctor told the Red Cross that if the victim had lost another two pints of blood he would have died and that "whoever thought to use their entire torso as a compression tool was brilliant." That person was Louth.

Louth, the driver, the man who provided support and assistance and the 911 caller all deserve thanks for a job well done. They truly did save a life.