Logan Hope says, “You have to trust in your training.
When 911 calls started coming in around 1 a.m. AT on Saturday, it was the worst night of Brett Tetanish’s career as a firefighter.
All night, it rained and thundered very hard, and floodwaters rose quickly. While out on a call, several bridges in the area were washed away or flooded, leaving his crew stuck on high ground. He says that what happened that night is still hard for him to understand.
“The fact that we’ve lost four people means that we could have easily lost a lot more. But you should know that after two days of not sleeping, I went home and cried for an hour with my little girls and my girlfriend while holding my kids.
Kimberly Gillingham was one of the people the crew of the Tetanish saved. She told CBC News that her cat coming upstairs wet was the first sign that something was wrong at home.
“It’s like saying, ‘I know you weren’t outside because I have three cats.’ So I went downstairs. There was two feet of water in my basement,” Gillingham said.
“When I tried to turn off the power, I got shocked. I shut off the main circuit breaker and went upstairs. All the firemen are standing in front of my house, trying to figure out what to do.
Tetanish said that they put firefighter Logan Hope in an ice water suit and tied him down so he could get into Gillingham’s house without being swept away by the water.
Hope, who is 22 years old, said that it was the hardest thing he had ever done.
“I was raised on the water.I was a competitive kayak and canoe paddling coach for about five years. I’m used to being in it… “I dug my feet as far into the ground as I could, and I could feel the tether pulling on my back, so I knew I would be okay,” he said.
Gillingham got ready to leave from her house.
“I threw up, I was so scared,” she said. “I grabbed my purse and put it in between my two jackets.”
Hope remembered that the water was much colder than he had thought it would be.
“At that point, you have to put your trust in your training,” he said.
Gillingham said that Hope tried to find her medicine, but it was all floating in the water. She said that he put his arms around her and they left the house together.
‘There was so much debris
“It was too small to stand up in. “There was so much trash, everyone’s firewood and everything from up the road came down to our place,” Gillingham said.
Then she and Hope were carried away by the floodwater, which she said was nearly a meter deep.
Gillingham said that both she and Hope had been “beaten up pretty bad.” She said she lost her engagement ring, clothes, and shoes in the water, but she kept her purse and phone, which she said still works.
She said that Hope helped her stay calm during the whole thing.
“He tells her, ‘It’ll be fine, Kim. I got you. I got you.’ She said, “Because, I mean, I was scared to death.”
By making a chain of people, the firefighters were able to pull them out of the water.
Kim was taken to the hospital after a while. On Wednesday, Gillingham found out that her leg was broken.
“That will heal, I’m still here.” That’s what’s most important. And God bless the fireman, because he could have been in the same situation as me, and I know he was hurt too. His helmet got knocked off, and he got hurt all over. I think he must be, he’d have to be.”
She said that Hope is her hero and that she would like to hug him. She thinks that if he hadn’t come to save her, she would have died.
“Together, we saved her life.
Hope says that those who helped him should give him the thanks he deserves.
“I knew I was in charge of her life, but I had my crew with me. “My crew held my life in their hands, so we all worked together to save hers,” Hope said.
“I thought everyone there was a hero. I’m thankful, though. I’m just glad she’s all right.”