2019 Officer of the Year

On June 2, 2019, the Waterloo and Valley public safety departments were notified of an emergency on the river. They were unable to launch rescue craft due to unfavorable conditions. Officer Messerschmidt and Officer Mark Stewart began assisting from the air via ABLE-1. They located two parties in a canoe and one in the water, the latter at risk of drowning.

Officer Stewart landed ABLE-1 in a nearby field. Officer Messerschmidt made his way to the man struggling in the river. He found a long pole with which to pull the man to shore, then helped him to the helicopter. The pilots flew him to nearby emergency personnel.