Members of the Palmerton AREA Education Association honored two men on Wednesday for a major contribution to one of their students, even though their act had nothing to do with teaching.

The association honored Palmerton Patrolman Randolph Smith and Mark Walck, a paramedic, who rescued Jason Branch, a 12-year-old Palmerton youth.

Jason climbed a Zinc Corporation of America tower on June 1 and received second and third degree electrical burns from a 12,000-volt line that the tower carried.

Smith climbed the tower to save the screaming child, climbing over railing on the outside of the tower to reach the boy.

Walck ran to the tower when a child told him about the accident and climbed it, helping Smith to bring Jason down from it.