Stamford Professional Fire Fighter to Receive Prestigious National Award for 2012 Boat Rescue

Stamford Fire Department Firefighter Bill O’Connell of Engine 5/Rescue 1 will be presented the prestigious Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Indiana this Wednesday, April 24, 2013. The award commemorates the life and career achievements of FDNY Deputy Chief Ray Downey who lost his life while commanding rescue operations at the site of the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. Chief Downey was a 39- year veteran of the department and one of the most highly decorated firefighters in the history of the FDNY. Firefighter O’Connell, an 11- year veteran of the Stamford Fire Department and a member of the department’s dive team was called to the site of a partially submerged cabin cruiser after it had crashed into the Stamford Harbor Seawall and overturned on July 22, 2012. There was one fatality and two passengers were trapped underwater in the overturned boat’s cabin and their air pocket was rapidly running out. According to the rescue divers’ rescue report, victim Anthony Basile was extracted from the cabin first. FF O’Connell led him to the cabin door/hatchway were FF Joe Maida was waiting and brought him to the surface. The other passenger trapped, 25 year-old Kristina Caldararo was panicked and resisted swimming through the debris field to get out of the pitch black submerged and sinking boat’s cabin. After attempting to coax Ms. Cladararo out, Firefighter O’Connell, despite having a cut hand which would require stitches pulled her from the boat’s cabin to safety. At the time the air in the cabin and FF O’Connell’s air tank supply were nearly depleted. “It was a last ditch effort, I was running out of air and time,” he said. “Firefighter O’Connell and the other first responders performed extraordinarily under extremely difficult circumstances,” said Stamford Fire Department Lt. James Kravchuk, who nominated O’Connell for this prestigious national award. “Firefighter O’Connell at one point had to grab one of the panic stricken victims by the ankle and pull her out of the hull as the air pocket in the cabin was rapidly decreasing. Both trapped passengers had water up to their necks and were in the initial stages of hypothermia.” Firefighter O’Connell said, “It’s an honor to represent all of the many first responders who participated in the rescue that night. Without the dedication and hard work of my fellow firefighters, police officers and other rescuers, this terrible Stamford Harbor incident may have resulted in more causalities. The greatest satisfaction that comes from this job is when we are able to help others in their time of need.” “Firefighter O’Connell’s actions that evening are indicative of the 24/7 job done by the members of the Stamford Fire Department,” said Brendan Keatley, President of the Stamford Professional Fire Fighters Association. “All of our city’s first responders were critically instrumental in saving two lives that night.”