9-year-old boy reunited with Fresno County deputy who saved his life

During an awards and promotion ceremony for the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, one deputy's act of heroism from the past year stood out a little more than the rest.

His quick thinking helped save a young boy's life following a near-fatal car accident last summer.

The 9-year-old's dad became emotional on Thursday after recalling how the child was rescued by off-duty deputy Robert Pulkownik last July when the family car he was driving got T-boned and flipped into a canal in Fresno County.

"One thing I do recall that really frightened me was my son had said, 'Tell my family that I loved them.' For that to even enter his mind frightened me also," said Richard Sanchez Sr.

The deputy happened to be near the intersection of American and Fowler when he saw the accident and discovered the boy was pinned under the vehicle.

"Just being thankful for having the right person, the right man, at the right time, at the right place, doing the right thing, to assist me because it wasn't for him, I would've probably messed it all up," Sanchez Sr. said.

The 9-year-old was reunited with the man who saved his life Thursday. The young boy shared with Action News the scar from the 50 stitches he received following the accident that fateful summer day.

"It was hurting real bad," he said.

As for Deputy Robert Pulkownik, he was honored with the Life Saving Medal.

But he said he was just doing his job.

"I'm the one on stage, just a face behind the award, but really, there's a lot of people to get recognition. There were a lot of citizens who stopped and helped out just as much, so I said it from the beginning, and I'll say it again, a lot of credit goes to them," Pulkownik said.

The Sanchez family and deputy say they are now linked together forever and hope to remain involved in each other's life going forward.