[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12740-12741]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           THE FACE OF A HERO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Heck) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HECK of Nevada. Madam Speaker, I come to the floor today with a 
heavy heart to pay my respects and to bid a solemn farewell to Las 
Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer David Vanbuskirk. Officer Vanbuskirk 
was killed in the line of duty on Tuesday, July 23 while participating 
in a rescue mission outside of Las Vegas. He was 36 years old.
  To me, Dave was more than a constituent, and he was more than a 
public servant. He was one of my medics and a teammate. You see, prior 
to coming to Congress, I was a member of the LVMPD Search and Rescue 
team and the department's medical director.
  A 13-year veteran of the department and one of only seven 
commissioned search and rescue officers on this elite force, Officer 
Vanbuskirk was called into action on the night of the 22nd to rescue a 
hiker who was stranded on a rocky ledge above Mary Jane Falls on Mount 
Charleston. Once he reached the stranded hiker via helicopter, Officer 
Vanbuskirk secured the man and himself with harnesses to be lifted back 
into the helicopter. It was at some point during the lift that Officer 
Vanbuskirk became detached from the harness and fell to the ground 
below.
  The hiker survived. He was saved by the heroic actions of Officer 
Vanbuskirk.
  David's career with the department was marked by many 
accomplishments, but the notable achievements he would want us to 
remember cannot be hung on a wall or pinned on a uniform. These 
achievements can be summed up this way: David Vanbuskirk answered the 
call when people needed him. This is a man who, when the call came out 
to rescue a hiker stranded high on Mount Charleston, did not think of 
himself or of the

[[Page 12741]]

danger he would be putting himself in. Like so many times before, he 
climbed into the helicopter and thought only of the person to be 
rescued, of the life to be saved.
  Of course, answering calls like this are what David and the rest of 
the Las Vegas Search and Rescue team do. The work our law enforcement 
and search and rescue officers do around the valley and around our 
Nation to keep our communities safe is dangerous work, and this tragedy 
is a somber reminder that they put their lives on the line every time 
they are on duty, every time they answer that call.
  Dave's personal courage and selfless dedication to his work and the 
community he served epitomized the very core of those in the public 
safety professions--of those who run towards the sound of gunfire or 
run into a burning building while everybody else is running away.
  I remember when Dave first joined the unit. He was ambitious, 
motivated, professional--and he was always smiling. And he was smart--
one of the brightest with whom I've ever had the opportunity to serve. 
He was always looking to learn more about search and rescue techniques 
and about emergency medical care.
  We spent long hours together on SWAT missions, sitting in the cab of 
our rescue vehicle or on the rock during training exercises, and he was 
always asking questions. He was the proverbial sponge for knowledge. It 
was always, ``Hey, Doc. What about `this' or `that'?'' or ``Hey, Doc. 
What `if'?'' He always put others first, and nowhere is that more 
evident than in how he spent his final hours--in the dark of night, 
with the search and rescue team, finding someone who needed help.
  Madam Speaker, I think we use the word ``hero'' so often to describe 
athletes or celebrities or public figures that we sometimes forget what 
a real hero looks like. One only needs to look to my left. David 
Vanbuskirk was a hero, and that was evident by those who eulogized him 
this past Monday in the outpouring of public support, by the thousands 
who lined the funeral procession route and attended his services. He 
touched many hearts in his short time on this Earth, and stories about 
how he helped so many brought tears to the eyes of everyone who filled 
the church, even to the toughest cops in attendance.
  While the Las Vegas search and rescue community, the metro police 
family, his friends, family members, wife, and all who knew him mourn 
his loss, we also celebrate Officer David Vanbuskirk's 13-year career 
of answering the call to serve the residents of Clark County. He is 
survived by his wife of 11 years, Adrianna; by his mother, Pat; by his 
sister, Jennifer; and her two sons, Reid and Griffin.
  I extend my most heartfelt condolences to Adrianna and the Vanbuskirk 
family, and I pray they will be strengthened by friends and family 
during this difficult time.
  Police Officer David Vanbuskirk, P No. 6482. Secure. Final.

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