Crime & Safety
Oswego Resident to Fire Department: 'You Guys Flat Out Saved Our Lives'
A couple trapped in a drain pipe during the April flooding visits the Oswego Fire Protection District to say thank you for saving their lives.
The Oswego Fire Protection District was incredibly busy during the April storms and flooding in Oswego, responding to nearly 40 incidents.
And one couple whose lives the department saved wanted to make sure that firefighters knew how much they appreciate their services.
15-year Oswego residents Kimberly Murray and her husband, Matt, were trapped between their paddleboat and an overflow drainpipe on a pond near their home during the flooding and were rescued by Oswego firefighters Battalion Chief Dan Schiradelly, Firefighter Dave Jordan and other swift water rescuers.
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The Murray family, their six children in tow, went to Fire Station One Thursday afternoon to publicly thank the department.
“If it wasn’t for them I would not be here,” Kimberly Murray said.
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Kimberly suffered several broken ribs after being pushed against the pipe by the boat and spent five weeks in the hospital, said her husband. Her ribs have been remade with titanium, which Matt Murray joked would be a problem for airports.
Murray explained he and his wife were out on the pond near their home on Reservation Road and Eagleview Lane trying to clean out the drainage.
“There was so much water… we were cleaning for several hours so the water could move down and move along,” explained Murray.
While they were out the boat tipped, and while one of their sons, Matt, was thrown free of the boat the couple was trapped.
“He was able to call 911,” said Murray.
The Fire Department responded and rescued the two, who were sent immediately to the hospital. The rescue operation took about 18 minutes, said Schiradelly.
“This is our pride and joy to be able to rescue people, to help them out,” said Schiradelly. “Meeting someone you rescued is a once in a lifetime.”
Schiradelly said he couldn’t quite remember Kimberly Murray’s face until he saw her Thursday, but he remembered her eyes, which were visible as Kimberly struggled to keep head above water in the incident.
“That’s what I remember, too,” said Kimberly of Schiradelly.
“We’re all glad to be here,” said Firefighter Dave Jordan. “It’s a happy ending.”
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