Group of state troopers honored at the capitol building

Back on May 29th, Lt. Matt Sutter received a call asking for help, a child was in need of medicine that was then rushed across the state.

A group of Nebraska State Patrol Troopers were honored on Monday for their life–saving relay efforts to bring critical medicine to a hospitalized child in Colorado who was fighting a brain infection.

It was located at Nebraska Medicine, more than 500 miles away from the hospital in Colorado.

Lt. Matt sutter received the call and knew he had to act fast.

"I got the call at about 10pm. By the time we put things in motion which took about 15 or 20 minutes the weather conditions, there was a lot of overcast, lighting and thunder storms."

With air travel in the Omaha area out of the question, the troopers had to drive west to North Platte, where a plane was able to get the medicine to the Colorado border.

"We just sent a trooper to the hospital who picked it up, and it was literally just in a cardboard box about this big. We put it in the back seat of our cruisers and across the state it went," said Sutter.

Sutter says the request was the longest distance troopers have ever transported medical necessities under an urgent time frame.

The effort included seven troopers, one airplane pilot and dozens of other professionals.

The medicine arrived at the hospital early Wednesday morning.

"We talk a lot about team work at the Nebraska state patrol. Public safety is a partnership between us and the community. It’s definitely one that requires teamwork to solve problems like this," said Col. John Bolduc.

"These troopers were willing to work hard to help somebody who they didn’t even know, and that’s something the Nebraska state patrol does each and every day," said Governor Pete Ricketts.

Col. Bolduc and Lt. Sutter admitted this situation was unique, but the state troopers are always ready to answer a call for help.

"We believe that our citizens have an expectation of us that we are going to step up and do the right thing 100% of the time in these situations," said Sutter.

After receiving the call for help at 10pm, the troopers were able to race the medicine across the state to its destination in under six hours.

Great work being highlighted today at the state capitol.