Apple Valley Honors Two Citizens for Lifesaving Actions, Crisis Intervention
APPLE VALLEY, MINNESOTA – Two community members were honored by the Apple Valley Police Department for stepping in during critical situations, with one performing CPR on an unresponsive stranger and another stopping to help a teenager in crisis on a bridge over Cedar Avenue.
Apple Valley Police Chief Nick Francis presented Certificates of Recognition to Stephanie Ransdell and Artem Drachev during the Apple Valley City Council meeting on Thursday, August 27, 2026. Francis explained that the citizen recognitions stem from a process similar to the department's internal awards program, which includes honors such as Officer of the Year, lifesaving awards and medals of valor and honor.
Police officers who witness noteworthy actions while responding to calls can submit applications to the department's awards committee for consideration.
"We have several times each year recognized residents for what they have done," Francis told the council.
Ransdell Credited With Saving Man's Life at Goodwill
Ransdell's recognition stemmed from an emergency on April 15, 2026, when Apple Valley police officers were dispatched to Goodwill for a report of a customer who was unconscious and not breathing. When officers arrived, they found Ransdell already performing CPR on the man.
Emergency responders took over his care, and the patient was eventually transported to a hospital. The following day, his son contacted officers to report that his father was alive and doing well. According to information presented by Francis, doctors discovered that the man had a 100% blockage in one of his arteries, which required surgery. The man's son told officers that because Ransdell acted so quickly and began CPR, his father did not suffer oxygen loss to his brain.
"Stephanie saved his life by being brave enough to start CPR on a stranger at the store," Francis said.
Francis also shared an update on the man during Thursday's recognition. The patient was 80 years old and ultimately died peacefully at home approximately six weeks after the emergency from an unrelated cause. While the man later died, Francis said his family expressed significant gratitude for the additional time Ransdell's actions gave them with their loved one.
"The family expressed just great gratitude for the opportunity to spend additional time and have that additional time with their loved one," Francis said.
Ransdell's actions were particularly notable because she told city officials that she had not received formal CPR training. When asked about her training during the presentation, Ransdell said she hoped to take a CPR course soon. Francis presented Ransdell with a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the Apple Valley Police Department.
Pictured: Stephanie Ransdell receiving his recognition from Chief Francis during the August 27, 2026 City Council Meeting.
Motorist Stops to Help 15-Year-Old in Crisis on Cedar Avenue Overpass
Drachev was recognized for his actions during a separate incident involving a 15-year-old boy in crisis on May 22, 2025. Police were called after the teenager told his mother that he felt like jumping from a bridge before leaving his residence.
As officers responded, the teen was observed on a traffic camera straddling the pedestrian wall of the Palomino overpass over Cedar Avenue (Highway 77) in Apple Valley. Before officers arrived, Drachev, a passing motorist, stopped to help. According to police, Drachev convinced the teenager to come down from the edge of the bridge. When officers reached the scene, they found Drachev with his arm around the teenager, speaking with him and offering words of hope and encouragement.
Police said Drachev shared some of his own personal struggles with mental health and prayed with the teenager. The teen became emotional in response to Drachev's compassion and embraced him. The department credited Drachev's decision to stop and intervene with preventing a potentially fatal outcome.
"Drachev's quick intervention with the juvenile no doubt prevented a tragedy," according to the recognition presented by the department.
Pictured: Artem Drachev receiving his recognition from Chief Francis during the August 27, 2026 City Council Meeting.
Police Recognition Highlights Residents Who Step in to Help
Although the circumstances surrounding the two incidents were significantly different, both recognitions highlighted the role members of the public can play before first responders arrive.
Ransdell encountered an unresponsive stranger and immediately began CPR despite having no formal CPR training. Her actions helped keep the 80-year-old man alive through a serious cardiac emergency and ultimately allowed his family additional time with him before his unrelated death weeks later.
Drachev, meanwhile, encountered a teenager in an immediate crisis. Rather than continuing past the scene, he stopped, persuaded the teen to move away from the edge, and remained with him, offering compassion and encouragement until police arrived.
The Apple Valley Police Department's recognition program honors both department personnel and community members for exceptional actions that support public safety. For Francis and the department, the two awards provided an opportunity to recognize residents whose willingness to become involved made a significant difference during moments when another person's life was in danger.
Written by: Will Wight
