CRAWFORDVILLE, FL (WTXL) -- First responders were honored in Wakulla County for saving lives in a fiery bus crash earlier this month.
Four people died as a result of the accident, and about two dozen more were injured.
Wakulla County Sheriff Charlie Creel didn't hesitate to call the first responders "heroes." Crews from Leon, Wakulla and Franklin counties -- along with the Florida Highway Patrol -- rushed to the scene on July 2, risking their lives while saving others.
More than half a dozen agencies received plaques and a letter from Governor Rick Scott, thanking them for their quick actions.
Creel says the first responders' teamwork shows the humanity in people to help others in a tragic situation.
"They got people off of that bus that were incapacitated that we had to fly out on a helicopter that couldn't have got off by themselves," Creel said. "They took them off the bus. If they hadn't, they would've burned. They saved lives that morning."
Agencies that were recognized included the Tallahassee Fire Department, American Red Cross, and Woodville Volunteer Fire Department, among others.
The crash claimed the lives of 4-year-old Widminio Desire, Denise Medelus, Laurent Donneval and the driver, Gordon Sheets. As of today, only one of the injured victims is still in the hospital, but in good condition.
Creel says there are plans to formally recognize the first responders outside the state capitol.
