Grafton hero Etre awarded Carnegie Medal for rescuing woman from sinking car

When Christopher Etre grabbed a wrench and dove into the frigid Quinsigamond River on the night of December 13, 2019, he wasn’t thinking about heroism.

He just didn’t want to stand by and watch a woman drown in a rapidly sinking vehicle.

Etre, 48, a construction company owner from Upton, is one of 18 recipients this year of the Carnegie Medal for acts of extraordinary heroism, North America’s highest honor for civilian heroism.

On that night, Etre saw the car lose control on black ice on Wheeler Road. While the driver managed to escape, the passenger remained trapped.

Etre swam 30 feet to the car, which had submerged completely except for its rear.

“Etre broke out the rear, driver’s side window but was unable to reach the car’s 18-year-old passenger. Climbing onto the car’s roof, he used the wrench to break the rear windows and then pulled the glass from it with his hands,” the Carnegie Foundation described. “He grasped the woman by the arms and assisted her from the vehicle. They both swam to safety on the opposite bank. The woman was not injured and Etre recovered from cuts on his hands.”

Police arrived at the scene to find Etre, along with the vehicle’s two occupants, safely on the shore.

Etre was previously honored for his heroism by Grafton Police, state Rep. David Muradian, state Sen. Michael Moore, and Gov. Charlie Baker.

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