SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — “We understand that statistically speaking, swiftwater rescue is about the most dangerous thing we can do,” Spokane Valley Fire Department Captain Ben Riddle told NonStop Local.
But when the call came in, he and his team, sprung into quick action.
“I think I got the phone call about 3:00 in the afternoon and we need to be on the road by 7:00 at the latest,” Riddle said.
In those four hours, Riddle organized men and gear, but some details, like where to sleep, were still uncertain.
“We assumed a gym floor of school,” Riddle explained.
Luckily, the State found Hotel accommodation.
“It was kind of a throw everything in a bag and hope you didn’t forget anything,” Riddle said.
Once they arrived in the Mount Vernon area, Riddle says the team pulled 14 hour shifts, assisting where needed.
“The first two days were really what I would call the busy days,” Riddle said.
The team received calls moments into their first shift, going street by street and door by door to check on residents.
“It was really just what’s going to happen next. We spent several more hours in that same neighborhood just going street by street door by door, who’s home, who’s staying, who’s leaving,” Riddle said.
They deployed boats and assisted with rescues, helping neighbors in the flooded areas.
“The water was so deep, we were driving over fences and not knowing they were there,” he said.
Even as the floodwaters began to recede, the swiftwater rescue team remained ready to deploy again if needed.
And while they worked. Riddle said they felt the support of folks back at home.
“We were hearing from our own department, from family members, from friends, Just a lot of support for us being over there and doing it,” Riddle said.
