Rookie firefighter rescues his captain
FirefighterNation Staff
SPRINGDALE, Arkansas — Springdale Captain James Kehrli never thought it was going to be him, he told 4029 News.
Captain Kehrli talked about the moment he became pinned by debris in a burning warehouse in December.
Kehrli and rookie firefighter Vincent Humphrey were battling a fire inside the warehouse on December 27, 2019.
In zero visibility and with water coming down from sprinklers Firefighter Humphrey heard a crash and lost his captain under a pile of debris.
“My helmet was cracked, my face mask came off,” Kehrli told 4029 when pallets collapsed on top of him.
Under the debris Kehrli saw Humphrey’s boot and immediately grabbed it.
Humphrey and other firefighters were able to rescue Kehrli and bring him outside to safety.
Kehrli’s ankle was broken in three places.
He will have surgery on his ankle and hopes to be back to work in three to four months.
