Several San Diegans were honored for demonstrating extreme courage in helping others. District Attorney Summer Stephan presented the 'Citizens of Courage Awards' Tuesday.
The ceremony took place at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel on Park Blvd. in downtown San Diego. About 500 guests attended the ceremony and luncheon.
Among the eight recipients, two are survivors of the Las Vegas shooting massacre that killed 58 people.
Taylor Winston, an Iraq War veteran, received the award because he acted quickly during the massacre.
"I kicked into action and realized I needed to do something," Winston said. "I've been to a lot of music festivals and I knew there would be a vehicle with keys somewhere in the employee parking lot. I lucked out 100 percent with the first one I checked."
Winston began loading the pickup truck with shooting victims and then drove them to the hospital.
Another honoree was Shiva Ghaed, a psychologist who survived the shooting and set up a support group for other survivors suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
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"I was also in the direct line of fire," said Ghaed. "I don't know how my friends and I survived to be honest with you."
Winston and Ghaed want fellow survivors of traumatic events to know that it is perfectly healthy to get help from professionals during the healing process.
Other recipients were a man who stopped another man from jumping off of the Coronado Bridge, a woman who came to the aid of a neighbor being stabbed by an intruder, and a woman who was stabbed 15 times and faced her attacker in court.
"If we all step up and do what we can when we can, then it's a better world," said Ghaed.
