The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 960 of Manning recognized 11 Clarendon County firefighters last week for their rescue efforts during the October flood.
Two firefighters - Lt. Michael Cothran and Gene Morris - were singled out for specific recognition for their efforts in saving those trapped in a van stranded in swift moving waters on Oct. 3.
"These guys put their lives on the line each and every day," said chapter Treasurer Dennis Croft, himself a firefighter. "But during the flood, they went above and beyond. They went days without sleep and they put themselves in danger constantly to save those who had put themselves in danger, either knowingly or unknowingly."
Croft said a couple in a van attempted to pass through a flooded area on North Brewington Road. Water as deep as six feet in the area had rapidly pulled the van into a ditch.
"When we got there, the van was on its side in the water," Morris said last fall.
The occupants, Morris said, were able to get out of the vehicle through its windows. They were found on top of the vehicle. That's when nine other firefighters helped lift a 20-foot boat into the water between a gap between the ditch and guard rail.
"This wasn't a light boat," said Croft. "This is a heavy piece of equipment. They didn't have a boat ramp and couldn't get a truck hitch up to the water. They had to carry it."
Cothran, whom Croft said has spent most of his life on the water, was able to navigate the craft to the van. Morris, wearing an "immersion survival suit, a floatation suit for the body," he said, was able to get to the top of the van and to the couple.
"They then brought them back to safety," Croft said.
With a 40 horsepower motor, the boat was "just able to operate with that strong current," Morris said. "The water is moving so quickly, no one could swim to safety in that."
Also recognized at the March 3 VVA Chapter 960 meeting were Robert Peagler; Wesley Morris, Gene's son; William Mosier; Jessica Weinberg; Jason Hardy; Narongsak Saengjunt; Joshua Jodran; April Conyers; and Dr. Robert Ridgeway III.
Cothran and Morris' plaques read, in part, "“In recognition of a successful water rescue Oct. 4, 2015. This rescue is evidence of your unending desire to make and keep our community a safer place to live. Thank you for your devotion to duty with the Clarendon County Fire Department. March 6, 2016.”
