By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A Paint Creek Joint Fire and EMS firefighter was swept 179 feet through a flooded culvert while clearing debris following heavy rain in Greenfield, Ohio.
- Fire Chief David Manning said the firefighter was pulled into the pipe before he had a chance to grab onto anything.
- The firefighter suffered scrapes and bruises; officials said his injuries could have been far more serious.
- Manning said the incident illustrates how quickly moving water can become dangerous, even when it does not appear fast-moving.
- Paint Creek Joint Fire and EMS is reviewing its training protocols to determine whether additional preparation is needed to prevent similar incidents.
GREENFIELD, Ohio — A Paint Creek firefighter was swept 179 feet through a flooded culvert while clearing debris in the aftermath of heavy rain, according to Fire Chief David Manning.
Manning said the firefighter was pulled into the pipe before he had any chance to grab hold of something to stop himself. “It pretty much just pulled him right through; he didn’t have a chance to grab a hold of anything,” Manning said. “It was certainly something we’ve never experienced before.”
The firefighter suffered scrapes and bruises. “He is very lucky that that’s all it was,” Manning said.
Manning said the incident underscores how quickly moving water can become dangerous, even in conditions that don’t appear especially forceful. “Any moving water. It doesn’t have to be fast to sweep you off your feet,” he said.
Paint Creek Joint Fire and EMS is reviewing its training to determine whether crews need additional preparation to prevent a similar incident in the future.