A Caring Fire Fighter’s story during Ivan

Rodney Watler points to an area that was flooded
during the storm

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

It was only hours after the passing of Hurricane Ivan the winds had just slightly subsided, when a dangerous rescue mission was given to a fireman and his three-member crew.

Sub-Official of the Fire Department Rodney Watler in an exclusive Cayman Net News interview related an experience he said he would never forget.

“I was asked to rescue an elderly gentleman who was thought to be in a house next to the runway of the Owen Roberts International Airport in George Town, so I left accompanied by my three-man team comprising of Eric Rankin, Uric Mc Field and Morris Martin along with the fire truck to accomplish the mission.” 

However, Mr Watler was not aware of the great task that awaited him and how many people’s lives he would be saving that day. After failing to find the elderly man who had been reporting missing the rescue team continued on. 

“The water by that time was so high that it was difficult to determine where the road was,” Mr Watler said. “I was guided by two members of my team one on either side to ensure that the truck I was driving remained on course.”

While still trying to fight the terrible odds put in the way by the hurricane, Mr Watler and his crew came across a family of four sheltering in a bus. 
Mr Walter who has been a fire fighter for 15 years said:“The family had lost their home so we took them aboard intending to carry them to the fire station but on the way we found another family whose house was completely flooded and needed assistance.”

The dedicated team with limited resources had no other choice but to rescue the family from their flooded home carrying them on their backs to Jose Gas Station, which was more secure.

As Mr Watler told Cayman Net News everything seemed to be happening at the same time.

“On our arrival at the fire station, I received a call about a fire at Windsor Park and was told to head for that location immediately, but we never managed to get there; the mass of debris on the roads prevented us from accomplishing the task.” 

It was later discovered it was not a house on fire but a car, which was extinguished by civilians.

The task of rescuing was far from over, Mr Watler continued: “On the way back to base (fire station), we passed to pick up the family we had left there but on our arrival we found a car with two children inside, one of which was an infant along with its parents desperately looking for assistance; they had lost their home.”

It was a time when decisions had to be made and made quickly. Mr Watler had to act. But over sixty people were heading his way all desperately in need of help.

“A cargo van arrived and I asked the driver for assistance and he took most of the people to the Baptist shelter. It was not until then that we were able to go back to base.”

The risks however, did not end there and as the team leader of the rescue mission related, an electric wire fell almost hitting a member of his team. Luckily he was agile enough to escape unhurt.

These firemen like Mr Watler and his team who are also trained in rescue, are said to have worked tirelessly to ensure that other human beings are out of danger. 

The Chief Fire Officer Kirkland Nixon recently acknowledged how the bravery demonstrated by these young stalwarts saved the lives of many.

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