Sheriff’ deputies Skyler Rauch and Scott Saigeon receive Kiwanis Life-Saver Award for rescuing a juvenile girl from an older Tennessee man who drove here to meet her after connecting on the Internet

Shown receiving the St. Bernard Kiwanis Club Life-Saver Award are, third from the left and fourth from the left, respectively, deputies Scott Saigeon and Skyler Rauch. With them from left is Kiwanis President-elect Mike Gorbaty, Sheriff James Pohlmann and at right, Sam Catalanotto, chairman of the Kiwanis Life-Saver Commitee,

Dep. Scott Saigeon with Sam Catalanotto of Kiwanis to the side.

When two St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s deputies stopped an older Tennessee man in a vehicle with a 15-year-old girl the night of June 24 as they were about to leave the parish it was clear to officers from the start that something wasn’t right.

As it turned out, deputies Skyler Rauch and Scott Saigeon rescued the juvenile from a situation in which the man had driven here to meet her after connecting on the Internet. He had a loaded gun and a large amount of ammunition with him.

“We believe this girl may never have been found alive,’’ if not stopped, Sheriff James Pohlmann said. “This was good law enforcement work.’’

John Lynch, 53, of the Chattanooga area, was booked after an investigation with two counts of carnal knowledge of the girl for allegedly having sex with her, as well as two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of $750,000 bond.

Rauch, six years with the Sheriff’s Office, and Saigeon, who has a total of 16 years in law enforcement, were honored Aug. 25 by the Kiwanis Club of St. Bernard with its Life-Saver Award for their actions that night.

The Kiwanis Club gives the award four times a year for special actions, twice to parish sheriff’s deputies and twice to firefighters.

The ceremony included Sheriff Pohlmann, Sam Catalanotto, chairman of the Kiwanis Life-Saver Committee; and Mike Gorbaty, President-elect of Kiwanis. Several ranking deputies also attended the event.

In presenting the award, Catalanotto said that more than 10 years ago the Kiwanis Club started it as a way to recognize first-responders in the parish for the work they do to protect the public. “They are the first people through a door’’ to rescue someone in an emergency, he said. “They put their lives on the line’’ for St. Bernard.

The female is from New Orleans but was visiting relatives in St. Bernard Parish, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Sheriff’s detectives learned in a follow-up investigation the adult and minor met several months ago on the Internet and made plans to meet when she visited relatives in St. Bernard Parish.

Rauch and Saigeon told Kiwanis members they were glad they had been in the right place at the right time.

Both officers also said later they believed there was a high probability the situation would have ended badly for the juvenile if she and Lynch made it out of St. Bernard that night. “I had a 110 percent bad feeling’’ about the girl’s chances had Lynch left the parish with her, Saigeon said.

Rauch said officers could see she was sitting close to Lynch in the front seat when they stopped them but she jumped further away when pulled over. Lynch also initially gave a false statement that he was related to the girl, Rauch said.