WESTON, W.Va. — The Bruceton Brandonville Volunteer Fire Department Swiftwater Rescue team was one of many mobilized to assist with rescues during a serious flash flooding in Upshur and Lewis counties Tuesday.
Team member Steve Lindsey said they didn’t get the call until early evening, and most of the volunteers had just finished their regular jobs. The team had to weave their way to the Weston area due to several road closures, making the trip much longer than normal.
“We had been awake for 18 hours to start off, and we get down there, and it’s in an area that’s unfamiliar to us,” Lindsey said. “It’s a whole new challenge and if we were familiar, everything looks different when it’s under several feet of water.”
Some additional members trained in water rescue from the Star City Volunteer Fire Department made the trip too to provide assistance.
“We actually had some additional personnel that wanted to come and help along with our team from the Star City Fire Department,” Lindsey said. “Most people don’t know that fire department guys are specifically trained for water operations.”
Once in downtown Weston, Lindsey said they were one of several swiftwater rescue teams that were helping the people of the town. The teams worked with purpose in dark and dangerous conditions to locate victims and work to get them out.
“We removed 11 individuals from their homes, along with four family pets,” Lindsey said. “There were several other teams on the ground working simultaneously.”
Lindsey said the teams worked until about 5 a.m. Wednesday. They worked to keep the victims safe and calm as they were moved to higher ground and safety.
“They were grabbing their pets, and there were several juveniles and smaller children that we were trying to reassure and tell them it was ok, get them in the boat so we can get them back to a spot where we can get them out of the water,” Lindsey said.
The water in some areas of the downtown area was up to the eaves of homes and buildings, according to Lindsey. Working in the high-water conditions in the hours of darkness was an especially difficult and rewarding challenge.
“It was up to the edges of house roofs, the stop signs were completely submerged, and at one point earlier in the evening there were cars floating,” Lindsey said.