Greensboro firefighters save child in western North Carolina

Greensboro Fire Chief Tim Carrier has never experienced the enormous damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina in his more than ten years on the job.

“We started in Hickory on Wednesday evening and then moved to Transylvania County to a fire station in Brevard and we were there on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday when the storm hit,” Carrier said.

After the storm left the state, Carrier and the Greensboro Swift Water Rescue Team assisted in search and rescue operations in Buncombe County.

“We spent a few days up there and met a lot of different people. We knew people were trapped and having a hard time getting out,” Carrier said.

One of the people they helped was a 10-year-old boy.

He was separated from his family by a landslide and got stuck in floodwaters.
Greensboro firefighter Chris Kingston says some of his colleagues rescued the child while he and other first responders worked to find the boy’s family.

“We helped reunite the family,” Kingston said.

It’s a rescue he won’t forget, Kingston says.

“It’s an honor and just a humbling experience… being able to help people and be there for them,” Kingston said.

While they’re happy to be back in Greensboro after an 11-day absence, Carrier says they’re already back up to speed.

“I’m a little tired just trying to keep up with everything and … pretty heartbroken about everything that’s going on in western North Carolina,” Carrier said.

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