GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Two Grand Rapids firefighters are now home after joining Michigan’s Task Force 1 and traveling to North Carolina to aid with Hurricane Helene rescue efforts.
Captains Curtis Walsh and Josh Veldkamp arrived in North Carolina on Sept. 29, in the middle of a storm and immediately started rescue efforts.
“We kind of embedded ourselves with the local teams,” Veldkamp said. “We did a couple of different water rescues, water rescues of rescuers that were pinned themselves, and then other individuals that, where one of them was on a car that was washing down the roadway.”
During these rescues, both men faced dangerous conditions. Strong winds, downed trees and running water were apparent once they arrived.
No one knew how strong this storm was going to be – not even first responders.
“The timing worked out the storm being a little more severe than they anticipated,” Curtis said. “We came in right in the middle of torrential rain, heavy winds, trees coming down, power lines over the road, lots of obstacles to get through.”
Despite the hazards, the task force immediately started to assist North Carolina rescue teams and community members.
“Despite of the fact of everything that they were facing and dealing with,” Curtis said. “They were very upbeat, optimistic. Opening their homes and their businesses to people, handing out food and water and at times, even offering help to us… So that that struck me, just the resiliency and the good nature of the people of North Carolina.”
More than 230 people have been killed from Hurricane Helene, according to ABC News on Monday, Oct. 7.
