Traveling Back…with PC Search and Rescue

By Nila Harris

The Flood of 1997 devastated our community, but it also caused a birth—Pendleton County Search and Rescue, Inc was formed in response to this catastrophe. 

It was March 1, 1997, and it rained as if it was never going to stop. WCPO.com reported that storms dropped up to 10 inches of rain over the southern and eastern edges of the Tri-state area. Falmouth firefighter Darrin Brown was evacuating people, while his family was trying to move things upstairs in their own flood zone house. Darrin and his wife Michelle left their home in two different vehicles. He made it out of town with their two children, niece, and his mom, but realized that Michelle wasn’t behind them. He had his young son, Dustin on the back of a quad with him and went back into Falmouth in search of Michelle. At the former Bi-Rite IGA building, the water was waist deep, and the quad flooded, so Darrin made his way to the Marquardts’ (fellow firefighter/friend) home on Pendleton Street. At this point, the water was 3 ½ feet on the porch. The two stayed in the living room, before heading upstairs, with Brown finally having to use a claw hammer and fireplace poker to bust through the roof to be rescued.

When it was announced on the emergency radio that Darrin Brown and his young son had been swept away by flood waters, another firefighter and friend Lou Burke went in search for them. “I spent about two hours walking the banks of the Licking River, looking for any sign of him,” retold Burke. He started looking for a boat, and found one south of town, but its owners started shooting at him when he tried to “borrow” it. Burke spent the rest of the night, looking to recover Darrin’s body. Word was slow getting to Burke that Brown and his family had been rescued around 4 a.m. Burke and Brown met up at the old Falmouth hospital where Brown and his family were getting “checked out”. Burke told Brown, “I’m working on some stuff.” A week later, the “stuff” Burke was working on, turned out to be a boat and rescue equipment donated by the city of Falmouth, Massachusetts. “When are we going to get them? This ain’t going to happen to Falmouth again,” Burke firmly stated to Brown. 

In January 1998, Burke, Brown, Mark and Marty Hart, and Jimmy Taylor made the trip to Falmouth, MA to pick up the donated items. Once the group came back, they started the process of forming Pendleton County Search and Rescue. A board was created. Burke wrote the by-laws and standard operating procedures, and Mark spoke with Bob Bathalter about creating a corporation. Their first station was a barn near where the new bridge was built on East Highway 22, going out of Falmouth. Mayor Gene Flaugher and the City of Falmouth appropriated funding for the concrete floor at the station. The team stayed in this location until the bridge was built, next moving to the old county barn, behind Wyatt’s.

Mark and Marty were already certified divers, but the group of 30-35 Search and Rescue volunteers needed to be trained in land and water rescue. “We took everyone down to Jessamine County for a weekend class,” informed Mark. Kentucky Utilities had a power plant there and could release water from the pipelines to simulate swift water. The attendees were equipped with wet suits and proper equipment. Currently, there are local and state trainings for the team each year.

From the beginning through today, the biggest challenge has been funding. At first, certain entities wondered Why do we need this? and Doesn’t the fire department take care of this? It took hard work and determination to get S&R up and running. The board wrote grants, visited Frankfort and local county/fiscal court meetings, and held fundraisers.  “We’ve done everything—from picking up trash, raffles, and dances, “laughed Hart. For a couple of years, Jeff Wyler sponsored Hot Wax with a concert and a tent car sale. This seemed well received by the public, but ended when the Hot Wax band split up and Jeff Wyler pulled out of the sponsorship. 

“Mark got our biggest grant ever, a big boat (that cost) $170,000, piped for a fire pumper, all stainless steel with a 150 Mercury outboard motor, outfitted very well, “explained current chief Darrin Brown. EMA/911 Director Mike Moore helped get this state rescue grant through the Coast Guard. S&R has an agreement with the Coast Guard that “anything that happens on the (Ohio) river, we are to respond,” stated Brown. This was the boat that S&R used at the WEBN fireworks when monitoring the river last month. S&R also has a written contract with Bracken County to respond to needs, “if Pendleton County doesn’t need us”, said Brown. Recently, a BC patient with dementia was missing. S&R showed up with the aid of Amanda Fitzpatrick and her two bloodhounds and located the person.

Former Judge Executive Henry Bertram who was a Falmouth firefighter for several years told Hart that some fire stations were using old bookmobiles and turning them into rescue vehicles. Bertram located three vehicles, Hart went to look at them, and the city helped buy one. S&R took everything out of the bookmobile and refigured it. Pete Shields and his body shop donated time, materials, and labor to paint it. Lisa Greene was also instrumental in making this happen by donating money towards its purchase.

John Bloomfield helped get an ambulance donated. Dar Pro donates money to S&R at Christmastime every year, according to Brown. He is very appreciative of the help, donations, and the support of the Falmouth City Council and Pendleton County Fiscal Court. “Without sponsors, we’d be dead in the water.”

Although “rescue” is the best outcome for S&R, sometimes it’s about “recovery”. When Bobby Wood and Danny Eaton drowned in the Ohio River in 2002, the search for them involved a multi-agency effort. Groups eventually had to pull out, but S&R was there for 14 days “daylight to dark, we were on the river searching until both were found,” explained Hart. This was a sad tragedy, but S&R was able to give the families closure, thanks to the team’s unrelenting, tireless efforts.

Many people were involved in the origins of S&R and still play an active part. Mike and Cyndi Martin are on the board, with Mike in the role of the second chief, following Mark Hart. Burke’s wife Sherry, Mark’s wife Lisa, Rick Brown, and Scotty McElfresh all played significant roles in the beginning. Any names who have been omitted are the fault of this writer.

If you would like to donate to S&R, you can message them at their Facebook page by the same name or stop by their station at 104 State Street, Falmouth. Thank you to all the creators, leaders, and volunteers who have served on Pendleton County Search & Rescue, Inc since its beginning in March 1998.