On Christmas Day along California’s treacherous Highway 50 near Lake Tahoe, Air Force Staff Sgt. RJ Tala and several good Samaritans heroically rescued a couple and their dogs from an SUV precariously hanging off a steep embankment hundreds of feet above the ground. Tala, traveling with his family, quickly assessed the danger and used his military training to stabilize the vehicle, which was being held by a fallen tree, before forming a human chain to safely pull the trapped passengers to safety.

Despite the hazardous conditions, Tala and the bystanders worked together to prevent the vehicle from falling and successfully extracted the driver and his wife. Their quick thinking and teamwork turned a potentially deadly situation into a remarkable act of holiday heroism.