STUART — A Stuart-area man has been awarded the Carnegie Medal, North America's highest honor for civilian heroism, after rescuing his wife from an alligator attack in the St. Lucie River last year.
The Carnegie Hero Fund announced June 23 that Kelby Perren was among 18 individuals across the United States and Canada selected to receive the award for risking serious injury or death while attempting to save another person.
According to the Carnegie Hero Fund, Amber Perren, 27, was kneeling in a shallow area of the St. Lucie River on July 23, 2025, when an 8.5-foot-long alligator approached in murky water and clamped onto her right arm and hand.
The alligator dragged her toward deeper water as she splashed, screamed and struck the animal with her free hand.
Kelby Perren, a 33-year-old power generation engineer from Palm City, was on a nearby beach when he saw his wife struggling in the water. Believing she may have been attacked by a shark, he ran to her and grabbed her around the waist.
The Hero Fund said Perren felt something thrash against his leg and pull Amber away. He then pulled with force, freeing her from the alligator's jaws.
The couple boarded their boat, and Perren called 911 while navigating to a nearby dock, where first responders met them. Amber Perren was flown by medical helicopter to a hospital, where she remained for six days while receiving treatment for two broken bones in her forearm. Although she later regained motion in the injured arm, numbness persisted as she continued to recover.
In a statement following the award announcement, Perren downplayed his actions and credited others involved in his wife's recovery.
"I am deeply honored to receive the Carnegie award, but I want to emphasize that this recognition is not something I sought, nor do I feel it sets me apart from others who would have acted the same way," Perren said in a statement.
"I am grateful for the first responders and medical teams that made the outcome positive."
The Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Hero Fund was established in 1904 by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The organization awards the Carnegie Medal to individuals throughout the United States and Canada who enter extreme danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.
With the latest recipients, the Carnegie Medal has been awarded to 10,581 individuals since its inception. Recipients or their survivors receive a financial grant, and the fund reports that nearly $47 million has been distributed through grants, scholarships, death benefits and continuing assistance programs over the past