Police Chief Andy Hwang presented Life Saving Awards to Federal Way police officers William Lemmon and Travis Loyd and Valley Communications 911 call receiver Adrienne Byers on Tuesday.

Because of their immediate actions, they collectively saved a human life under extraordinary circumstances.

“It is my honor and privilege to present the Life Saving Award to these outstanding individuals,” Hwang said during the dedication.

At 12:44 a.m. on April 14, Valley Communications Center received a 911 call from a woman in distress — Byers took the call.

Because the caller used a cell phone, the address of the call did not show at the dispatch center.

Soon after the call connected, the woman ceased speaking.

The phone line remained open and Byers heard the woman’s breathing becoming shallower.

The mobile phone system gave an estimated location of the phone, accurate in this case to within 960 feet.

Federal Way police officers were dispatched to the area in hopes of finding the unknown problem and responding officers Lemmon and Loyd coordinated with the dispatcher.

Officers used their sirens within the defined area. The dispatcher informed the officers when the sirens sounded louder or quieter.

The broad search was narrowed to the most likely residence. In the 800 block of S. 310th Place, officers initiated contact at a house. There was no answer at the door but the dispatcher heard the officers knocking and confirmed they were at the correct residence. It was dark inside and there was no sign of any activity inside the home.

Officers checked around the house. Finally, using their flashlights through an uncovered corner of a rear window, officers observed a woman on the floor. She was in obvious need of urgent medical care, police officials said. She tried to crawl to the door, but had passed out. Officers breached their way into the locked house, called for medics, and began administering aid. Lt. Ray Bunk arrived soon after officers entered the home. Medics arrived on scene and after stabilizing the woman’s condition, they quickly transported her to the hospital. The woman had lost a life-threatening amount of blood but was transported to a local hospital in time to save her life.

With no indication of criminal activity at the scene, the officers’ crime-fighting investigation was complete. With the patient safely at the hospital, the medical rescue mission was a success.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Concerned for the psychological impact that family members may experience at the sight of that amount of their loved one’s blood left in the home, officers spent considerable time cleaning up the residence. Once that was done, they placed affected linens in the washing machine and started the wash. On the side of the refrigerator officers located a phone number for the woman’s mother. They called and informed the mother of the situation, including the hospital where her daughter was taken. Then they set about securing the residence at their breach point. The woman’s father arrived and assumed control of the residence.

Lemmon, Loyd and Byers distinguished themselves with exceptional performance to save a human life, police said. Without the quick actions of these three individuals, the woman would not be alive today.

Federal Way police received a thank you letter from the victim’s mother and she also sent a note to the Seattle Times to thank these individuals.