Sabin Barto

Rock Springs man to receive Florida award

Rock Springs resident Sabin Barto will receive an award in Florida this week for pulling an unconscious man to safety after a car accident.

The Abe Schneider Award is an award given by the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, which includes St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Barto has a home in Ponte Vedra Beach at the Sawgrass Golf and Country Club.

Barto was raised in Rock Springs and is currently in Wyoming helping his mother, who works full-time and also has custody of his 5-year-old niece.

Barto attended Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs from 1996 to 1998, and the University of Maryland from 2002 to 2004.

He is retired from the Navy and a member of The Wounded Warrior Project. He is also the owner and operator of Windy Ridge Gallery.

On July 5, 2011, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., a loud bang was heard just outside Barto's home. He went to investigate the noise and found a car engulfed in flames after it had run into another vehicle. Yelling at everyone around to stay away from the car, Barto jumped directly into the flames to reach the vehicle door. Despite the severe heat, he was able to get the door open, unbuckle the driver and pull the unconscious man to safety. Witnesses say just after he got the driver away from the vehicle, the car exploded. Barto stayed with the man and rendered assistance until paramedics arrived.

The Abe Schneider Award is given to citizens of the community entailing exceptional courage involving grave personal danger in rendering help to a law enforcement officer. The award will be presented at the World Golf Village on March 2, 2012, at 6 p.m.

Schneider, born in 1887, was killed March 5, 1911, at the age of 24 while he and another deputy were taking four men to jail for disorderly conduct and transporting a weapon. Schneider had immigrated to the United States from St. Petersburg, Russia.