By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
Greg Mullin is a Senior Federal Wildlife Officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stationed at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Brigham City, Utah, and is the recent recipient of the U.S. Department of the Interior Valor Award. (Contributed Photo)
Greg Mullin, formerly of Geneseo, recently was awarded the U.S. Department of the Interior Valor Award at the Department of Interior’s 77th Honor Awards Convocation Ceremony on May 7 in Washington, D.C.
A 1987 graduate of the former JD Darnall High School, (now Geneseo High School), Officer Mullin is a Senior Federal Wildlife Officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, stationed at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Brigham City, Utah. He is the son of Dr. Randy and Linda Mullin, Geneseo; and the late Fran Mullin.
The Valor Award is presented to Department of the Interior employees for acts of heroism involving a high degree of personal risk in the face of danger and Mullin received the Valor Award for his rescue of two waterfowl hunters by airboat on Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge during a severe winter storm last December. He was assisted by Officer Connor Curtis from the Perry City, Utah Police Department, who was honored with the Department of Interior Citizen’s Award for Bravery.
Contributed Photo
In our conversation, Officer Mullin was asked to comment about receiving the award and he said, “I am incredibly grateful and honored to receive the Department of the interior’s Valor Award. I am proud to serve as a Senior Federal Wildlife Officer for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
It was early evening on Dec. 1 of last year and Greg Mullin was pulling into the driveway of his home after finishing his shift at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Brigham City, Utah, when he received a call from a hunter who was in distress.
The call was forwarded to Officer Mullin’s cell phone from the main office phone system at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge….”Therefore, my caller ID showed the main Refuge telephone number and not the hunter’s,” Mullin explained.
The hunter told Officer Mullin that his boat would not start and it was his impression that the hunter was having difficulty walking out of the hunting unit.
“The call disconnected mid-conversation, likely due to poor cell coverage and weather conditions,” Mullin said and added that the area was experiencing freezing conditions, high winds and snow.
Due to concern for the hunter’s safety, including increased risk of hypothermia, Officer Mullin returned to the Refuge, navigating miles of icy and snow-covered roads to search by airboat.
When he reached the Refuge boat ramp where the hunter had likely launched from, the local emergency services dispatcher (911) gave Officer Mullin additional information to help him find the hunter, including his cell phone number.
“It’s my understanding that the hunter called 911 while I was driving back to the Refuge so the dispatcher was able to get a call-back number. Because of a severe winter storm, it took me over an hour to reach the Refuge and retrieve an airboat.”
Officer Mullin asked Perry City Police Officer Connor Curtis, who had just gone off duty, for assistance.
He contacted the hunter’s cell phone and the hunter told him he had a respiratory issue and felt very ill. He texted his location on a GPS map screenshot before the cell connection was lost.
Officers Mullin and Curtis launched the airboat in steady snow with sustained winds that pushed snow horizontally, making visibility less than 10 feet. Using the GPS screenshot, Officer Mullin piloted the airboat in hazardous whiteout conditions for approximately one mile to the stranded hunters. The hunters were extremely cold and wet after having been on the water for more than five hours. The officers brought the hunters onto the airboat and towed their boat back to the ramp. On shore, they warmed and provided supportive care to the hunters. When the hunters felt capable of leaving and were in good cognitive condition, Officer Mullin escorted them safely off the refuge.
He said, “Without Officer Connor Curtis’ help, I would not have been able to navigate to the stranded hunter in the severe weather conditions.”
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is approximately 76,000 acres; he explained and added, “The hunter’s location was within a large management unit open to hunting, so we were searching in a big, open water area with no landmarks.”
After graduating from high school in Geneseo, Officer Mullin graduated from Asbury College, Wilmore, KY, in 1991. He has worked in law enforcement for 28 years for the Federal Government. His career began as a Park Ranger for the National Park Service, and for the last 18 years as a Federal Wildlife Officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
He lives in Utah with his wife, Lisa Mullin, and their daughter Caroline Mullin. His adult children are John Mullin and Christine Mullin, both living in Illinois.