Hometown Hero | Deputy goes above and beyond

CABELL COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Being a sheriff’s deputy means some tough days on the job, but some days are tougher than others.

“We kind of had a busy day at work,” said Cabell County Sheriff’s Sgt. Anthony S. Cremeans II.

However, that particular Tuesday was about to get busier for Sgt. Cremeans.

A call came in about a child having a medical emergency, and Cremeans was the first person to arrive at the scene.

“I picked the child up, put him over my shoulder, put him outside, got his airways open. At that time, Cabell County EMS pulled up. I was able to transfer the child to the cot. My corporal, Joshua Parsons, pulled up, got my cruiser out of the way, and I drove the ambulance to the hospital,” Cremeans said.

Those quick actions helped to save the child’s life.

Sgt. Cremeans’ fellow deputies reached out to WSAZ for his actions to be recognized.

“No, no, no. I don’t deserve this,” Cremeans said. “I’ll tell you, it was a group effort. I had guys from state police, my other deputies that were blocking traffic for me, the Barboursville Fire Department. God was with those paramedics that day. They were the ones that saved the child.”

While nominating the sergeant, his fellow deputies knew he would not feel like a hero.

“We’re lucky in Cabell County. We have a bunch of great deputies, a bunch of great EMS. This day was his time to step up. He did that. He went above and beyond,” said Cabell County Sheriff Chuck Zerkle.

Now, that busy Tuesday is one the sergeant won’t forget.

I’ll tell you, in 16 years of being a deputy sheriff and 23 years in emergency services this is the second hardest day of my career. The first hardest day was when my fellow officers were shot two years ago, and that was the second hardest day of my career,” Cremeans said.

“It’s very emotional. It hits home very hard. We go that extra mile for the kids to try to make sure that we can save them,” said Sheriff Zerkle.

“Children are our second most vulnerable population next to our elderly. If we’re not protecting our future, we’re just not doing our jobs,” Cremeans said.

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