Fire House Digest

Category: Rescue

  • High-Tech Rescue: Drone Locates Missing Elderly Man in Plainville in Record Time

    High-Tech Rescue: Drone Locates Missing Elderly Man in Plainville in Record Time

    Advanced Technology and Swift Coordination Lead to Successful Search Operation

    March 14, 2025 – Plainville, MA – A missing 86-year-old Massachusetts man was located in just 17 minutes Thursday night after emergency teams deployed drones to scan miles of wooded terrain.

    The man, who had last been seen around 7 p.m., was reported missing at approximately 8:20 p.m. Given his age, the dropping temperatures—hovering around 36 degrees—and the time he had been unaccounted for, authorities swiftly mobilized a search operation.

    Cutting-Edge Search Effort Yields Quick Results

    Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the Plainville Police Department requested assistance from the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council (METRO-LEC)—a regional mutual aid network consisting of 46 cities and towns in southeastern Massachusetts. Within 40 minutes, METRO-LEC dispatched specialized teams, including a drone unit, K-9 team, tactical bicycle unit, investigative services, and a dedicated search-and-rescue team.

    Three drones were launched to conduct a grid search spanning over two miles of dense terrain near the power lines in Plainville. At precisely 9:47 p.m.—only 17 minutes after the drone deployment—the missing man was located in a wooded area.

    Emergency Response and Medical Evaluation

    Once the drones pinpointed his location, search-and-rescue personnel and paramedics from the Plainville Fire Department quickly reached the man and conducted a medical assessment. He was then transported to Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, where he was reported to be in stable condition.

    Authorities Praise Swift Response and Technology

    Chief James Floyd commended the collaboration and advanced resources that led to the rapid rescue.

    “Tonight’s successful rescue is a testament to the power of collaboration, advanced technology, and the unwavering dedication of our law enforcement and emergency response teams,” Floyd stated. “The ability to deploy specialized units so quickly made all the difference in reuniting this individual with his loved ones. We sincerely thank the public for their support and commend all personnel involved for a job well done.”

    The case highlights the growing role of drones and specialized emergency units in search-and-rescue missions, demonstrating how technology can be a lifesaving tool in critical situations.

  • Fatal fire in Philly takes lives of adult and child.

    Fatal fire in Philly takes lives of adult and child.

    A pre-dawn house fire in Philadelphia left a woman and child dead, and another youth in critical condition.

    Two children, six and eight, were located unresponsive in the basement by searching firefighters, who initiated CPR, 6abc reported. 

    The girl perished while the older chld is in critical condition. 

    There were no working smoke alarms.

  • Watch & Read: Connecticut Man’s Desperate Bid for Freedom Unveils Two Decades of Captivity

    Watch & Read: Connecticut Man’s Desperate Bid for Freedom Unveils Two Decades of Captivity

    March 13, 2025

    Incident Overview

    On February 17, 2025, a 32-year-old man set fire to his residence in Waterbury, Connecticut, in a desperate attempt to escape what he described as over two decades of captivity. Firefighters responding to the blaze rescued the severely emaciated individual, who revealed he had been confined since the age of 11. 

    cnn.com

    Discovery and Rescue

    Upon arrival, emergency responders found the man in a “severely emaciated condition,” with matted hair and apparent dental neglect. He informed firefighters that he had intentionally started the fire, stating, “I wanted my freedom.” 

    fox61.com

    Allegations of Prolonged Abuse

    The victim alleged that his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, 56, had held him captive for over 20 years. He described being confined to a small, unheated storage space measuring approximately eight by nine feet, with limited access to food and water. He recounted resorting to drinking from the toilet due to severe dehydration and receiving minimal nourishment. 

    fox61.com

    Legal Actions and Charges

    Following an investigation, Sullivan was arrested and charged with second-degree kidnapping, first-degree assault, cruelty to a person, first-degree unlawful restraint, and first-degree reckless endangerment. She was arraigned on March 12, 2025, with bond set at $300,000. 

    timesunion.com

    Victim’s Condition and Statements

    The victim, weighing only 68 pounds at the time of rescue, disclosed that he had not received medical or dental care during his captivity. He stated that his confinement worsened following his father’s death, leading him to take drastic measures to gain freedom. 

    fox61.com

    Community and Official Responses

    Neighbors expressed shock upon learning of the prolonged abuse. Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo described the case as “heartbreaking and unimaginable,” commending the dedication of officers and the State’s Attorney’s Office in ensuring justice. 

    fox61.com

    Ongoing Investigation

    Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the victim’s prolonged captivity, seeking to understand how such severe abuse remained undetected for over two decades. 

    apnews.com

    This case has raised significant concerns about community awareness and the effectiveness of social safety nets in preventing prolonged abuse.

  • Small Plane Crashes, Misses Retirement Home in Manheim Township, PA 

    Small Plane Crashes, Misses Retirement Home in Manheim Township, PA 

    Five people aboard the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza were transported to a hospital for injuries.

    Credit: Paul Vigna. pennlive.com

    A single-engine airplane with five people on board crashed Sunday afternoon in a parking lot of a retirement community near a small airport in suburban Pennsylvania, officials said.

    A press conference started at 6:15 to provide more information on the crash.

    The crash happened around 3:30 p.m. just south of Lancaster Airport in Manheim Township, according to police. All aboard the plane were taken to the hospital, officials said at a 6:15 press conference.

    Photos and a video from a scene showed a plane in flames in the parking lot at Brethren Village Retirement Community in Manheim Township.

    That’s located less than a mile south of Lancaster Airport, across from Airport Road.

    The aircraft was a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza, the Federal Aviation Administration told CNN.

    It departed from Lancaster Airport, just north of the crash site, at 3:26 p.m. ET and was headed toward Springfield, Ohio, according to FlightAware.

    One witness said the plane crashed shortly after takeoff.

    “It was pretty high, but then it started veering left, and suddenly it nose-dived sideways while continuing to turn left,” Brian Pipkin told CNN.

    Pennsylvania State Police are “on the ground assisting local first responders,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a post on X, adding that “all Commonwealth resources are available as the response continues.”

    According to news reports and residents posting on Facebook, multiple ambulances converged on the crash scene.

    Still, considering the proximity of the crash to the retirement community and the parking lot, it could have been worse.

    Said Manheim Township Police Chief Duane Fisher at the conclusion of the press conference, “It’s a great day when you have a plane crash and everyone survives, and no one on the ground is hurt.”

  • One Dead, Four Hurt in Portland, ME, Fire 

    One Dead, Four Hurt in Portland, ME, Fire 

    Firefighters were forced to evacuate due to failing structural integrity, Portland fire officials said.

    Credit: Gillian Graham Portland Press Herald, Maine

    Mar. 6—One person died and four others were injured in a fire in Portland early Thursday morning.

    Five adults who lived in the house at 11 Olympia St. were all inside when the fire was reported at 1:14 a.m. Four people were taken to Maine Medical Center, including one person who is in serious condition, according to fire Chief Chad Johnston.

    The name of the person who died has not been released by fire officials.

    The outside of the one-and-a-half-story, single family home appeared charred Thursday morning, with blown-out windows and damage to the roof and siding.

    Responding crews were forced to evacuate the building due to intense fire conditions and failing structural integrity, said department spokesperson Sean Donaghue. Two firefighters were also injured in the fire but were not taken to the hospital, Donaghue said.

    The fire was brought under control around 4:15 a.m. Nearby Veranda Street was closed for several hours overnight but reopened before the morning commute. Olympia Street remains closed, according to the fire department.

    A team of investigators from the state fire marshal’s office are expected to be on scene throughout the day investigating the circumstances of the fire, said Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

  • D.C. Firefighters Recall Harrowing Response to Deadly Plane and Helicopter Crash

    D.C. Firefighters Recall Harrowing Response to Deadly Plane and Helicopter Crash

    D.C. Firefighters Recall Harrowing Response to Deadly Plane and Helicopter Crash

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — First responders who rushed to the devastating collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River described the scene as overwhelming and unlike anything they had ever encountered.

    D.C. Fire and EMS marine pilot CJ Isbell, who was among the first to arrive, called the experience “a nightmare.”

    “With years on the job, you think you’ve seen it all, but that night was beyond anything I could have imagined,” Isbell told NBC Washington. “The scale of it—the number of victims, the debris, the sheer devastation—it was like something out of a movie, not real life.”

    The collision, which occurred on January 29 as the American Airlines flight prepared to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, sent both aircraft plunging into the river, claiming 67 lives.

    A Chaotic and Overwhelming Scene

    Firefighter and EMS diver Steve Hater, who also responded to the crash, recalled the difficulty of processing the destruction.

    “No matter how much experience you have, nothing prepares you for something like that,” Hater said.

    Isbell and his crew were alerted by a phone call and immediately deployed their fireboat, reaching the crash site in under ten minutes. Despite having night vision and thermal imaging equipment, they struggled to see through the darkness. Instead, the strong odor of jet fuel told them they were close.

    “As we approached, we saw part of the fuselage sticking out of the water, a massive debris field, and a thick layer of jet fuel covering the surface,” Isbell explained. “Our first priority was to check for survivors, so we began searching inside the fuselage, hoping to find anyone still alive.”

    Hater noted that while visibility in the water was unusually clear due to the cold temperatures, making sense of what they saw was difficult.

    “It was just wreckage everywhere, a tangled mess,” he said. “It took a moment to even comprehend what we were looking at.”

    Coping with the Aftermath

    Both first responders acknowledged that the tragic events of that night left a lasting impact. They continue to process the emotional toll of the experience with the support of colleagues and loved ones.

    “I’ve leaned on my family and my fellow firefighters,” Hater shared. “Talking about it—just being able to be open with the people who were there—that’s helped the most.”

    As investigations into the crash continue, those who responded remain focused on healing while honoring the lives lost in the tragedy.

  • Seven Hurt when Gas Grill Explodes in Kaanapali, HI

    Seven Hurt when Gas Grill Explodes in Kaanapali, HI

    Maui EMS crews said the injured patients ranged from 18 to 74.

    Seven people were injured, some seruiusly, when a gas grill exploded in Kaanapali.

    One person was flown to a trauma center while others were transported local hospitals. The victims ranged between 18 and 74.

    “Preliminary investigations suggest that the explosion may have involved liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which supplies common area BBQs. Witness statements indicate a possible grill malfunction before the incident,” Maui Police told KHON.

  • Chicago Firefighter Calls ‘Mayday’ Battling Furniture Store Blaze

    Chicago Firefighter Calls ‘Mayday’ Battling Furniture Store Blaze

    As piles of mattresses and furniture burned, Chicago crews called for additional manpower.

    Credit: Caroline Kubzansky – Chicago Tribune

    A firefighter was in good condition Thursday night after he became disoriented fighting an extra-alarm blaze at a furniture store in the Roseland neighborhood, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

    The fire appeared to have broken out in the basement of Elegant Furniture and Linen, in the 11200 block of South Michigan Avenue, around 6 p.m. according to Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford. Six people were in the store and directed firefighters to the basement, where one of the firefighters lost his bearings in the smoky fire and called “Mayday,” an emergency call for firefighters in distress.

    Another team of firefighters were able to find him and move him away from the scene, Langford said. He was in good condition, though dazed, Thursday night. None of the other people in the building were hurt.

    The smoky conditions were due to masses of furniture and mattresses stored in the basement, Langford said. All of those materials ignited at about the same time in what is known as a “flashover.”

    The fire department upgraded the fire to a 2-11 alarm, which summons additional manpower and firefighter equipment to the scene. It was still burning around 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Langford said.

  • East Syracuse, NY, Firefighter Injured in Crash

    East Syracuse, NY, Firefighter Injured in Crash

    The firefighter suffered minor injuries when the East Syracuse fire truck responding to a call collided with a truck Wednesday afternoon.

    Timia Cobb – syracuse.com (TNS)

    DeWitt, N.Y. — An East Syracuse fire truck responding to a call collided with a truck Wednesday afternoon in DeWitt.

    The crash happened at about 3:19 p.m. at 7030 Fly Road in DeWitt, according to Tom Newton, a spokesperson for the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office.

    Firefighters were on their way to a fire alarm at a home on East Taft Road, according to Onondaga County 911 dispatchers. The crash happened eight minutes away from the East Syracuse fire station.

    One person inside the fire truck was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, Newton said.

    Deputies are still investigating how the crash happened and if tickets will be issued, he said.

    Staff writer Timia Cobb covers breaking news. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at [email protected].

  • Plane with 10 people on board missing in Alaska, officials say

    Plane with 10 people on board missing in Alaska, officials say

    Credit: Jessica Schladebeck – New York Daily News (TNS)

    A plane carrying 10 people seemingly vanished while flying over Alaska’s Norton Sound south of the Arctic Circle, triggering a desperate search along the state’s western coast on Friday.

    The Cessna aircraft, a single-engine turboprop operated by Bering Air, departed from Unalakleet for Nome on Thursday afternoon with nine passengers and a pilot onboard, Alaska’s Department of Public Safety said. Officials lost contact with plane around 2:37 p.m., less than an hour after take-off, and it was reported “overdue” by 4 p.m., per a dispatch message shared on the agency’s website.

    According to data from FlightRadar, the aircraft was last seen flying over the Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea separating Unalakleet and Nome, just after 3:15 p.m. It was “12 miles offshore transiting from Unalakleet to Nome when its position was lost,” the U.S. Coast Guard Alaska maritime region posted on X.

    While it’s still unclear what happened to the plane, its pilot apparently “told Anchorage Air Traffic Control that he intended to enter a holding pattern while waiting for the runway to be clear,” according to a Facebook post from the Nome Volunteer Fire Department. A C-130 Coast Guard plane was “planning to scope the area” in response. The agency said its firefighters were also actively searching the ground, between Nome and White Mountain, after they received a “a report of a missing Bering Air Caravan.”

    “Due to weather and visibility, we are limited on air search at the current time. National Guard and Coast Guard and Troopers have been notified and are active in the search,” the fire department said. “ Norton Sound Health Corporation is standing by.”

    The White Mountain fire chief, Jack Adams, told KTUU that the aircraft “disappeared from the radar somewhere along the coast of Nome to Topkok,” leaving crews to search the approximately “30-mile stretch” of land overnight and into Friday. He said they’re hoping to find the plane on land, adding that it “being in the water would be the worst-case scenario.”

    The names of the people onboard weren’t yet being released.

    “Staff at Bering Air is working hard to gather details, get emergency assistance, search and rescue going,” said David Olson, director of operations for Nome-based Bering Air, which serves more than 30 local communities.

    The plane’s disappearance marks the third major incident in U.S. aviation in just more than a week’s time. It comes one week after a medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia on Jan. 31, killing the six people onboard and another person on the ground. And on Jan. 29, a US military Black Hawk helicopter collided with a passenger jet near Washington, DC, leaving no survivors.

    With News Wire Services