Real heroes of Kitsap County to be honored

It’s about everyday people who performed heroic acts right here in Kitsap County and on Thursday they will be honored at the Real Heroes Breakfast presented by the American Red Cross.

The public is invited to attend the sixth annual event at 7 a.m. Thursday, March 10 at the Kitsap Conference Center at Bremerton Harborside. The American Red Cross is honoring 12 local individuals who exemplified heroism and courage in the past year at a time it was needed most.

“A hero to me is somebody that goes above and beyond what would be expected of a normal person,” said Sheriff Steve Boyer, who also is a member of the hero selection committee.

And the 12 honorees — Sarah Carpenter, Shane Finch, Jason Halfhill, Sgt. Kent Hitchings, Dr. Larry Iversen, Christine Kenaston, Jeran McCormick, Morgan O’Friel, Cpl. Brent Reber, Will Sapp, Ben Sias and Evan Tice — did just that.

Iversen, an orthopedic surgeon, views his heroic act modestly. When he saw his friend and fellow East Bremerton Rotarian, Charlie Littman, collapse from an apparent heart attack at a Rotary meeting in January he was quick to take action.

“I heard a noise and saw Charlie slumping to the ground,” he said.

Iversen said he didn’t feel Littman’s pulse and yelled for someone to call 911.

“I started doing chest compressions, he started breathing on his own, there were a couple episodes where he would stop breathing and I did closed-mouth breathing,” Iversen said.

Iversen said during the ordeal he “got into a zone” and did what he was trained

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.