Oviedo Officer Matthew Brongel Honored with Life Saving Award After Saving 15-Month-Old

Officer Matthew Brongel of the Oviedo Police Department received a Life Saving Award March 2 after rushing into a local residence and performing lifesaving measures on a 15-month-old who had nearly drowned on Dec. 28, 2025. City Council presented the award during its meeting, recognizing Brongel’s role in stabilizing the child before emergency medical crews arrived.

According to police accounts reported by WFTV and Orlando-News, Brongel was the first law enforcement officer to arrive after the drowning report and found the toddler in critical condition while family members were “visibly distressed” in a “highly emotional” scene. The department said Brongel “immediately sprang into action, initiating lifesaving measures that included cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and clearing the child’s airway.” WFTV’s account adds that he also provided stimulation at the scene.

WFTV reported Brongel “performed immediate lifesaving measures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, airway clearing and stimulation. As a direct result of these actions, the child began showing signs of life before the Fire Department arrived to take over medical care.” Fire/rescue personnel and paramedics later assumed care on scene and transported the child to a hospital.

A hospital update a few days after the Dec. 28 incident informed law enforcement that the 15-month-old was expected to make a full recovery, according to both WFTV and Orlando-News. The hospital’s prognosis provided the basis for the department and City Council to emphasize the outcome when presenting the Life Saving Award to Brongel.

At the March 2 Oviedo City Council meeting, Deputy Chief Brian Foley explained the background of the emergency call and “the specific criteria required to receive a Life Saving Award,” WFTV reported. Oviedo Police Chief Dale Coleman presented the award and praised Brongel, saying, “His actions reflect the highest standards of service and dedication to public safety and are worthy of commendation,” and that Brongel’s efforts “directly contributed to saving a life.”

The Oviedo Police Department described Brongel’s conduct at the residence as composed under pressure: he “remained calm, composed, and professional in an extremely chaotic and emotionally charged environment,” Orlando-News reported. That departmental assessment was a central reason council members moved to honor him publicly during the meeting.

The Life Saving Award in this instance was presented by the Oviedo City Council; available coverage does not link Brongel’s recognition to statewide awards programs. For historical context, the Florida Police Chiefs Association previously publicized Lifesaving Award recipients from Oviedo in 2016, but WFTV and Orlando-News do not state that Brongel’s March 2 award is part of that program.

City officials and the police department credited Brongel’s immediate interventions with stabilizing the toddler and helping secure the positive hospital prognosis; the City Council ceremony on March 2 formalized that recognition.