Volunteer firefighters in Flippin, Arkansas, delivered life-saving medication to an elderly couple stranded in their home due to severe flooding.
The heroic act took place last month after heavy rains left parts of the area inaccessible by vehicle, making it nearly impossible to deliver essential supplies.
The flooding had caused significant damage to roads, washing out sections of creeks and leaving some areas submerged under several feet of water.
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Among those affected was an elderly couple who had been stuck in their home for days, unable to leave or receive their medication.
The situation began as a routine welfare check, with firefighters dispatched to check on the couple’s well-being.
However, the mission quickly turned into a critical operation to deliver medicine after staff at Baxter County Regional Medical Center informed the fire department that reaching the couple by conventional means was impossible.
“That’s what we do. We serve our community,” said Kristopher Rodgers, a volunteer firefighter who has been riding horses for most of his life.
Rodgers’ experience with horseback riding proved to be invaluable in the challenging circumstances.
Tom Brown, the assistant fire chief, explained the difficulties they faced: “With the flood, we had multiple washouts on the creeks about four or five feet deep in some places, and it was very hard to get any vehicles, first responder vehicles, to the patient.”
The firefighters initially attempted to reach the couple using ATVs and trucks, but the steep three-mile hike and high waters on Mayfield Lane made it impossible to navigate the terrain.
With no other viable options, they had to come up with an unconventional solution.
“My chief asked if we had a way, and he knew that I had horses,” Rodgers recalled. Recognizing that horses could traverse the difficult terrain, Rodgers and his team decided to use them to make the delivery.
The plan quickly came together. “Kristopher gathered some horses, and BRMC delivered the medicine to us, and we ran it up the mountain,” Brown explained.
Thanks to their ingenuity and determination, the firefighters were able to reach the couple and deliver the much-needed medication.
The couple, who had been stranded for days, received their medicine in time, likely preventing a medical emergency.
Both Rodgers and Brown downplayed their efforts, describing the delivery as just another part of the job. “You can train all you want for a certain situation, but there’s always going to be something new that you don’t know or can’t plan for,” Brown said, reflecting on the unpredictability of emergency situations.
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