Oklahoma Firefighter Dies Rescuing Children From Flood, Community Creates Beautiful Tribute To Fallen Hero

Captain Jason Farley, a firefighter, sprung into action just before midnight on Saturday when floods began sweeping through the community of Claremore, Oklahoma. Farley responded to a call which reported that six small children were trapped inside a home as they celebrated a friend’s fifth birthday with a sleepover. The 19-year veteran of the fire department was checking homes on the street when he stepped into a ditch filled with water. The water immediately submerged the firefighter and he was swept into a storm drain. Farley’s body would be found around 1 a.m. Farley’s teenage daughter and wife were in Ireland on vacation when the horrific tragedy struck. They arrived back on Monday and were greeted by a beautiful tribute from the community in honor of the hero they called husband and father.

The Tulsa World reports that Steve Darnell was the grandfather of some of the children inside of the home that became flooded in the torrential rainfall. Darnell says that Farley is a “hero” and that “it could have been our grandkids or my daughter.”

“My granddaughters were in there, and… they carried (the kids) out two at a time through the deep water. When I came back, they were searching for the firefighter and they went and got a backhoe and pulled up the big storm drain in front of my daughter’s house… and then they came up and pulled this drain. And then the firefighters started hugging each other and I knew.”

The Claremore Fire Department says this is the first death in the line of duty in nearly three decades and that the department is mourning the loss of a great man. Tragically, Farley’s wife and daughter were on vacation in Ireland when the death occurred. The family was notified and the pair made a return flight to Oklahoma on Monday. Due to weather, the flight was delayed and did not arrive until nearly midnight. However, that did not deter the community from showing their love and support for the family of the fallen hero.

Over 1,000 people showed up in tribute to Captain Jason Farley on Memorial Day as the family drove home with police escort through what can only be described as a tunnel of support. Police cars, fire trucks, and people lined the streets as the family made their way through an archway created by two fire truck ladders.

A GoFundMe account has been setup for the family.

What do you think of the beautiful tribute to the fallen firefighter Captain Jason Farley, who gave his life while rescuing children from a flooded home?

[Image Credit: Youtube/ Claremore Fire Department]