Madeline “Amy” Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery (2013)

Carlos Arredondo

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, in which at least 206 people with ties to Massachusetts perished. The first flights to be hijacked took off from Boston Logan International Airport. Madeline “Amy” Sweeney, a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, displayed extraordinary cool under extreme pressure during the hijacking. The Massachusetts 9/11 Fund Blog is profiling the Sweeney Award recipients for the past quarter century every week leading up to the naming of the 2026 Honoree(s) at the 25th Anniversary Commemoration on September 11th.

“The man in the cowboy hat” saves life of Boston Marathon bombing victim

On April 15, 2013, Carlos Arredondo was in the bleachers of the Boston Marathon, waiting to hand out American flags in memory of his son Alexander, a U.S. Marine Lance Corporal who lost his life fighting in his second tour of duty in Iraq.

Then the first bomb went off. In an iconic photograph, Carlos – soon to be known as the man in the cowboy hat – was shown pushing Jeff Bauman Jr., whose legs were mangled from the blast, away from the scene in a wheelchair.

After the first explosion, Carlos, who served previously as a volunteer firefighter, jumped over the barriers set up for the race and saw Jeff bleeding heavily in front of him. Another spectator gave Carlos a sweater to apply as a tourniquet.

Then, “the man in the cowboy hat” lifted Jeff into a wheelchair. Carlos moved quickly, holding up what remained of Jeff’s legs while wheeling him toward a medical tent and directly into an ambulance.

Jeff lost both legs from the blast, but the quick actions of Carlos and other bystanders to get him medical attention saved his life.

“What I saw that day was serious. I know the size of (the) explosion hurt a lot of people. That’s why I was rushing into action, to help out,” Carlos said.

Army National Guard Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice, who helped present the Madeline “Amy” Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery award to Arredondo, said, “When the bomb went off, (Carlos) acted in the way his son would have acted. His actions saved this young man’s life.”

Carlos himself suffered two deeply personal losses over the past decade. Following the death of Alexander in 2004, the Marine’s younger brother, Brian, grew depressed. Brian committed suicide on Dec. 19, 2011, days after the Iraq War ended, at age 24.

“I accept this award on behalf of everyone who had their children die by wars, by violence on the street, by suicide, illness and terrorists," Carlos said.

Next week: Man saves apartment residents from destructive Fall River fire