Two UWUA Local 164 members were recently awarded the Carnegie Medal for Heroism, one of North America’s highest civilian honors, for their courageous actions in saving a co-worker’s life during a workplace emergency.
The incident occurred in September 2024 at a Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County worksite in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, where a crew was replacing a valve inside an underground vault. During the operation, a pressurized water line caused a heavy pipe and attached valves to dislodge, pinning coworker Pete Dunegan’s leg and nearly severing it. Thousands of gallons of water rushed into the confined space, threatening to drown him.
Coworker Michael Johnson was already in the vault with Dunegan when the accident occurred. Frederick “Rick” Palmer Jr. immediately joined him to help free Dunegan from the debris and bring all three men to safety. Palmer used his belt as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding until emergency responders arrived. Dunegan later underwent multiple surgeries and credits his survival to his coworkers’ quick thinking.
“If it wasn’t for Mike and Rick, I would have been a goner. I wasn’t sure I was going to survive,” Dunegan said. “We live in a world where people will pull out their phone and tape you if you’re in trouble, but how many people will jump in to help you? I nominated them because they deserve to be recognized for what they did.”
In December, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission formally recognized Johnson and Palmer for voluntarily risking serious injury or death to save another person — an honor awarded to civilians since the medal’s inception in 1904.
UWUA Local 164 President Jerry Sachs said the recognition reflects both the character of the men involved and the values shared by utility workers across the union.
“Mike and Rick didn’t stop to think about the danger — they acted because that’s who they are,” Sachs said. “Their courage, selflessness, and commitment to one another represent the very best of our membership.”
Johnson sustained a torn rotator cuff and bruising during the rescue, while Palmer was unharmed. Both men will receive the Carnegie Medal and a financial grant.
The award is a reminder that the teamwork, skill, and sense of responsibility utility workers bring to the job every day can make the difference between life and death.
