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‘He is our hero’: DeSoto captain honored after rescuing teens from submerged car

By , Daily Memphian Updated: March 16, 2026 4:07 PM CT | Published: March 16, 2026 3:56 PM CT

When DeSoto County Sheriff’s captain Johnathon Bigham saw a car submerged in a ditch last November, there wasn’t time to do a lot of evaluation. Not a lot of time to think.

There were at least two people trapped in the vehicle, and Bigham just had to address their safety.

“There wasn’t a thought process,” Bigham said. “It was, ‘Hey, there’s somebody that needs help, or somebody’s bodies that need help. Go.’ Everything happened so quick.”

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Subscriber Only DeSoto County Sheriff's Office Sheriff's Capt. Johnathon Bigham search and rescue Thomas Tuggle Jessie Medlin

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Brandon LaGrone II

Brandon LaGrone II

Brandon LaGrone Jr. is a Bluff City native who has earned an undergraduate degree in journalism from LSU’s Manship School. He’s written for publications including The (Baton Rouge) Advocate and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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