The rescue effort Sunday at the Brookside Inn in Oxford.
OXFORD – The heroism of Naugatuck Valley’s emergency services gained international attention this week in the form of a video depicting Beacon Falls firefighters rescuing people trapped in a house as flood waters raged on Route 67 on Sunday (Aug. 18).
Kyle Brennan of Beacon Hose Co. No. 1 shared the video and photos Sunday night. They were then reposted across the Internet, from The New York Times, to the BBC, to TikTok.
The video (embedded below) was shot by Hailey Williams, the daughter of Jodi Williams, the woman seen crossing the waters on a ladder connected to a fire truck as two large metal trash bins pass underneath.
The photos of the scene were taken by various Beacon Falls firefighters. A GoFundMe has been started to help Williams, whose car was destroyed in the flood.
The images helped the media and the public in other parts of Connecticut realize the severity of the region’s flooding.
According to a press release, Beacon Hose ambulances were responding to calls in Seymour and Oxford around 5 p.m. Sunday.
They were covering Oxford because members of the Oxford Fire Department were not only inundated with emergency calls – but were cut off from responding to parts of Oxford because of storm damage.
Beacon Hose EMS personnel were staging for calls near the Brookside Inn, a restaurant at 231 Oxford Road, when the flood waters suddenly started to rise.
The EMS crew was worried about the structural integrity of the restaurant, which had 18 people inside. Williams and her dog were in the residence next door.
Beacon Falls EMS called for Beacon Falls firefighters and the rescue was on.
Beacon Falls fighter and deputy fire marshal Cal Brennan and Beacon Hose firefighter Christian Hotchkiss were the first to reach the Williams’ residence, extending the truck’s ladder some 86 feet from the truck to a window.
Brennan is the man in the video sporting yellow rescue gear helping Williams and her dog, Gus, across the ladder.
“I was telling her to stay calm and walking her through the bench points, like when we were halfway there,” Brennan said. “Halfway to the street we saw a large dumpster floating down the street and thought it was going to strike (the ladder). But it took a hook and went down a gully. There was little time to think what could go wrong, we were just focused.”
Brennan said the flood was like nothing he’s seen in the Naugatuck Valley.
The firefighters then extended the truck’s ladder to its maximum reach of 107 feet, reaching a cement patio at the Brookside Inn. Officials said the people inside had sought refuge on the building’s second and third floors.
Firefighters helped the patrons and staff use the aerial ladder to get to safety.
No injuries were reported from the Inn.
The rescue operation was complete by 7:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the press release.
According to the press release, a large propane tank became dislodged from the building and began leaking, releasing propane that enveloped part of the building.
The Beacon Falls crews included Jeremy Rodorigo, who commanded the incident, and Cal Brennan, who ran operations. Other firefighters on scene included Capt. Kevin O’Connell, Engineer Paul Brennan, Christian Hotchkiss, John Weid, Adam Daniels, Adam Biggs and Eric Battis. Beacon Hose EMS personnel on scene included Chris Beson, Rob Swercewski, Lillian Wrigley and Tom Mulinski.
