Training Key For Multiple Rescues In Antelope County

Brian Hain has dedicated hours of time training as a firefighter, EMT and member of Jaws of Life.

But he never thought he’d be called to help anyone out of a flooded house, especially in Antelope County. But the Neligh firefigher did just that Wednesday afternoon in Oakdale.

“I never thought I’d see anything like this. It was something else,” Hain said.

Hain was part of a rope rescue team that helped two individuals in Oakdale escape the Glenice Pollock home at 206 First Street, which was the second rope rescue in a matter of hours for the fire department.

The first involved two minors from the Elkhorn River in Neligh’s Riverside Park early Wednesday afternoon.  The minors were quickly found near Belmer Creek.

“They could have been swept away before anyone knew what happened,” Hain said.

The second rescue took more time and manpower. The Oakdale Fire Department called for the rope rescue team and help arrived from the Neligh Police Department and Antelope County’s road crew.

Hain was taken into the flood water in the bucket of a county payloader driven by Road Superintendent Casey Dittrich and rescued the two individuals inside. Hain said he’d been on a grain rescue before, but last week was his first rope rescue in water. He said it felt totally different than during training.

“I was just trying to get them out. I wasn’t really thinking about anything other than that,” Hain admitted.

He said Dittrich had the idea to use a payloader and brought the county’s in for assistance.

“That was out-of-the-box thinking,” Hain said, “so that was a great idea.”

Hain said the house had about a foot of water inside when he went in. He had both victims immediately put on life jackets and took them out of the home by age before going back in for the family’s pit bull.

“They seemed pretty calm and had all of their belongings by the door,” he said. “The hardest part was getting the kennel out. They didn’t have a leash for the dog, so we took the whole kennel.”

Considering it was his first rescue in water, Hain said he learned a lot and would have done a couple of things differently, such as having been tied to the payloader.

Hain, who humbly shrugged off everyone thanking him for his efforts, said being able to put all of his training to use locally during an emergency situation is exactly why the first responders work so hard.
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“It is fulfilling, I suppose,” Hain admitted. “It’s nice to be able to put that training to good use and help somebody out on a bad day.”