A Sigourney resident has been recognized for his help in rescuing community members from a house emergency. 

Alliant Energy Combination Mechanic Alex Schwenke was one of five recipients of the Outstanding Service Award at this year’s Governor Lifesaving Awards ceremony. Schwenke was honored for his role in helping save the lives of some Rose Hill residents that were trapped in a rubble pile after a home explosion in May of 2019. Swenke says he received a call for what was thought to be just a power outage. He ended up assisting in getting the residents out safely by communicating with the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office and other emergency responders as well as digging an access hole. He shares his thoughts on being recognized, “It’s a great honor and I really appreciate it. I truly think that anybody else in my position would have done the same thing though. Our company has a lot of great employees that are willing to help anybody in need as they were that day.”

Schwenke was originally nominated for the award in 2019 but was not able to be officially recognized until this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all recipients from the past two years were honored at the ceremony held in the Iowa Capitol Rotunda. Schwenke added that he was happy to lend a hand and that everyone walked away from the situation safely.