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NEWS | March 27, 2012

Local Missouri Guard member reacts quickly to flood waters, saves neighbor

By Army National Guard Sgt. Sarah E. Lupescu Missouri National Guard

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Army Staff Sgt. Abe Faulkner, a local Guard member, was driving in to work one morning last week when he noticed another vehicle stranded in high waters across that covered the highway. Without hesitation, he immediately went to investigate and offer any assistance he could.

A local Missouri National Guardsman helped rescue his neighbor from high waters on Big Tavern Creek near Iberia, last week.

Faulkner was at Big Tavern Creek near Iberia, Mo. When he said he came down a hill and noticed the high water and then the stranded vehicle. "I got out of my car and asked the driver what he wanted me to do."

The stranded driver, Cory Holtmeyer, had already called somebody for help. Holtmeyer's dad and uncle were the first people other than Faulkner to arrive on scene.

"Their main focus was to get Holtmeyer a life jacket and they wanted to get out in the water to help him," Faulkner said. "I didn't want to put other people in harm's way by doing that."

Faulkner called 911 and it was decided there was a need for a boat.

Faulkner had a fishing boat at home they could use. By the time he arrived with his boat, the fire marshal and fire chief were there. They put two of their volunteer fire fighters on the boat and gave instructions for what to do when they reached Holtmeyer.

When the team reached Holtmeyer they gave him a life vest and put a rope on him and he was able to make it into the boat unharmed.

Looking back on that morning, Faulkner said it was the quick decisions made by him and the emergency responders that were critical to helping the stranded driver.

"When I first showed up I could see the truck's headlights," Faulkner said. "About an hour later the water was already running in through the truck's open windows. So the water rose more than six inches in less than an hour."

Not knowing if the vehicle would stay stationary in the rising water, Faulkner said he felt obligated to help and do anything that he could.

"I have had a couple people tell me that I kept a level head and did what had to be done to help," said Faulkner, a member of Joint Force Headquarters in Jefferson City and a fulltime mechanic in the Combined Support Maintenance Shop at the Ike Skelton Training Site.

 

 

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