ACFR Firefighters receive awards for river rescue
Recently Firefighters Mike Reader, Brandon Donner, and Adam Turner each received a Meritorious Award for their heroic efforts in helping save two women whose kayak had overturned in the Dolores River. It’s definitely a case of being in the right place at the exact right time!
The crew from Brush Truck 11 was on a Wildland deployment on July 4th, and was assigned to watch out for potential fires in the area. They were driving on a road when they came upon a bystander who waved them down. Two local women had been kayaking in the river and had tipped over when their kayak was snagged on the side of an island. While both women were pulled under the water, they eventually made their way to holding onto a tree branch to stay afloat. Along with the help of a local rancher, our crew helped pull the women to safety. It was a true team effort as Colorado State Patrol and the local Sheriff’s Office were part of the rescue as well.
While the two women are still sore and have a few bumps and bruises, they cannot be thankful enough for the efforts of everyone involved.
The Meritorious Award is given to District personnel who as a crew display extraordinary courage and professionalism while on an emergency incident. And that’s exactly what the crew from Brush Truck 11 did on July 4th!
*Included are pictures of the two women who our crew helped save.