CHELSEA – Ryan Brown was presented with the Sheriff’s Award at the Chelsea City Council meeting on Sept. 18 for actions that embodied “the spirit of Chelsea.”

Brown was part of the effort to locate a missing person following a wreck in February.

A wrecked vehicle was discovered on Feb. 9, and the search for the driver was suspended for the day with temperatures expected to drop below 40 degrees.

Many local agencies and volunteers assisted with the search the following day, but the driver was not found.

Hope for a rescue dwindled on the third day, but at about 8:25 a.m. on Feb. 11, it was announced that the driver had been found alive, causing many helping with the search to burst into cheers, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chris George told those in attendance at the Chelsea City Council meeting.

“As the driver was brought out of the woods on a gurney, a man emerged, said nothing, and walked to the rallying point,” George said. “He was without a jacket and shoes and was part of the search effort. It was later determined that he had given his shoes and jacket to the driver.

“Unbeknownst to Ryan Brown, someone took a picture of him walking back to his car with no shoes, in the rain. The picture was posted on several social media platforms and was covered in local newscasts. Ryan did not seek this attention, nor did he ask for it. Ryan simply represents what is right in the world and defined Chelsea and Pelham, Alabama that morning.”

Sheriff John Samaniego said Brown was honored with the Sheriff’s Award because of the servant’s heart he displayed.

“We felt like the actions of Ryan showed the spirit of Chelsea,” Samaniego said.