Creston man honored for efforts

A Creston man, who is also an Alliant Energy employee, was one of two employees honored Dec. 16 during the Governor’s Lifesaving Award ceremony.

Danny Gutschenritter, 61, saved a woman from a house fire Oct. 11, 2019. The Governor’s Lifesaving Awards are presented to those who have performed courageous acts in an attempt to save individuals who are in danger of losing their life or to individuals who unselfishly rendered service in

He was walking down the alley Oct. 11, 2019, after work and saw a young girl running in a neighbor’s yard.

“I walked that way and saw some smoke,” he said after the reception. “I ran over to the girl and asked if she had called the fire department. She said ‘no.’ So I told her to call them.”

Gutschenritter said he approached the front of the house as he saw flames coming from the house. He was able to open the front door but he couldn’t see in because of the smoke. He also saw a woman in a window.

“Are you by yourself,” he said he remembered asking the woman. She answered by explaining her daughter was in another room.

Gutschenritter said he quickly found a brick to break the window of the room the daughter was in.

“I couldn’t see her, but she said she was OK,” he said.

Gutschenritter then went back to the window where the woman was, who was the mother of the other person. The window was higher than he could reach so he jumped and was able to grab the woman’s hand.

“It was a smaller window. I told the woman, ‘We are not backing up.’”

He said he was able to explain to the woman how to twist and turn so she could get through the window, which she eventually was able.

“By then the fire department was there. I went back to my Alliant truck and started shutting off the electricity and gas since that is what we do at fires,” he said.

Gutschenritter said the two were taken to the hospital for treatment and released.

Gutschenritter said the moment was fueled by adrenaline.

“I didn’t think about it,” he said. “God put me in the right place at the right time. Ten minutes later, it could have been a real mess,” he said.

The ceremony was one of the few times he had thought about the day since it happened.

“I don’t think about it. I did it. It was on to the next day,” he said.

The Alliant employee of 31 years said he has had company training with safety procedures, CPR and some light first aid.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds presented the awards to Gutschenritter and Service Responder Alex Schwenke at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.

On May 26, 2019, Schwenke was dispatched to a home in Rose Hill after a smart meter indicated a power outage. When he arrived at the address, Schwenke found a large pile of debris as apparently the home had exploded or collapsed. After notifying first responders, he turned off the utilities. A couple trapped inside the house saw his flashlight and started calling for help.

Schwenke and firefighters were able to rescue the people.

The Governor’s Lifesaving Awards are presented to those who have performed courageous acts in an attempt to save individuals who are in danger of losing their life or to individuals who unselfishly rendered service in a time of emergency.