It was with mixed emotions that George Smith learned Tuesday that his son had been awarded a Carnegie medal for extraordinary heroism.

After all, 33-year-old Nathan N. Smith died in December 2009 while trying to save his older brother Noel from the freezing waters of Big Lake, near the Shasta County town of McArthur.

A third brother, Andrew, also came close to losing his life.

"They did the best they could," said their father, who lives in Browns Valley, Yuba County. "They did everything the way they were supposed to do it, but they had no rope."

Nathan Smith, who lived in Citrus Heights, was one of two Sacramento-area residents to be named a Carnegie medal recipient. The other, Cameron C. Gilbert of Cool, won the award for halting a knife attack at Sierra College.

So far, the Carnegie Hero Fund has honored 65 people who put their lives at risk this year. A total of 9,477 individuals have been lauded since the Pittsburgh-based fund's beginning in 1904. Recipients or their next of kin receive a financial grant.

George Smith said he has no idea who nominated his son for the award. He received a letter some time ago saying the fund was investigating whether Nathan would be a recipient.

According to the Carnegie fund and news reports at the time, Nathan lost his life Dec. 19, 2009, while trying to rescue his brother Noel, 39.

All three brothers were duck hunting when Noel's dog broke through ice at Big Lake about 65 feet from the bank and fell into water about 10 feet deep. Noel went after the dog, but he too broke through the ice.

Nathan then grabbed a nearby metal fence post and crawled across the ice toward Noel, with Andrew following. Nathan extended the post to Noel, who grasped it and pulled.

To keep Nathan from being pulled forward, Andrew held his ankles, but the ice beneath them also gave way.

With difficulty, Andrew pulled himself back onto solid ice, but by then Noel and Nathan had submerged. Rescue crews arrived shortly and removed the brothers from the water. They were taken to a hospital but could not be revived.

Gilbert's act of heroism occurred March 24, 2009, when he rescued Alex R. Abrahamian from an assault at Sierra College in Rocklin.

Abrahamian, 21, a campus visitor, was walking on a sidewalk there when a male student, 22, jumped on his back and stabbed him repeatedly with a knife. Abrahamian screamed as he struggled against the assailant.

Gilbert, 19, also a student at the school, was walking nearby and saw the attack. He hurried to the men, stepped between them and pushed them apart.

When the assailant tried to resume his attack on Abrahamian, Gilbert pushed him to the ground. The man then dropped the knife, which Gilbert kicked away.

As others tended to Abrahamian, Gilbert stood between him and the attacker until police arrived and arrested him.

Abrahamian was hospitalized for three weeks for treatment of his wounds, but he recovered.

Efforts to reach Gilbert for comment were not successful.

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