DIXON – Four Lee County Sheriff’s deputies received state honors for saving the life of a 3-year-old Harmon boy who was missing in 17-degree weather wearing only a diaper.

The Illinois Sheriff’s Association honored Chief Deputy Derek Ranken, Deputy Nathan Hollinger, Deputy Joe Presley, and former Deputy Kolton Morgan with the 2022 Deputies of the Year Award.

At approximately 12:56 a.m. Dec. 22, 2021, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office received a call regarding a 3-year-old boy that was missing from his home in Harmon, and the night shift of four deputies responded to the area.

“Not only were they searching for a small child, but the child was last seen wearing only a diaper, and the temperature that morning was 17-degrees Fahrenheit,” Sheriff Clay Whelan said in a news release Thursday. “Deputies searched the immediate area, as well as the home, extensively. The search area broadened, and additional resources were called in to assist with the search.”

[ Lee County law enforcement honored for saving 3-year-old Harmon boy found freezing in ditch ]

At 2:27 a.m., Morgan located the child, naked and lying face down near a ditch on the east side of town. He wrapped the boy in his jacket and then handed him to Hollinger so he could get some additional blankets from his squad.

“The child was unresponsive,” Whelan said. “It was believed that the child was exposed to the elements, unclothed, for approximately 2 hours.”

Morgan and Hollinger transported the child to KSB Hospital in Deputy Morgan’s squad car as there was no ambulance service in close proximity.

Presley was the lead car to ensure the safe passage along the route to the hospital, and Hollinger performed CPR on the child twice, which resulted in him reacting positively.

Dixon police were at the city limits, and they assisted with traffic control as the deputies rushed to the hospital.

“Upon arrival at KSB, waiting nurses and doctors performed CPR, while also using the defibrillator four times, as the child coded,” he said. “Eventually, all efforts were successful, and the child regained consciousness. He was subsequently stabilized and transported by helicopter to St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria for further treatment.”

Former Sheriff John Simonton said it was “an outstanding team effort by all involved.”

“I cannot adequately express my gratitude and pride in knowing how exemplary our personnel responded and performed that morning,” Simonton said. “Their quick action, decision-making, coordination, and response to this incident, provided us the best opportunity for a successful outcome.”