‘Spirit of Heroism’: Hilton Head firefighters earn international award for rescue during fatal blaze
Three Hilton Head firefighters have earned an international award for bravery in the line of duty, recognizing their rescue effort during a fatal house fire.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs awarded Hilton Head’s Battalion Chief David Bell, Lieutenant Sean Kavlick and fire apparatus operator Brendan Horlbeck the Ben Franklin Award for Valor — the association’s highest honor — for the crew’s performance during a Sept. 9, 2022 fire in Palmetto Dunes that left one dead.
On the night of the fire, the trio entered the three-story house in search of three unaccounted for occupants despite “extremely high heat, zero visibility and quickly deteriorating conditions” in the 4,900 square foot home, most of which was already engulfed in flames when their truck arrived.
“Visibility was so poor they could only confirm (the presence of a living occupant) through touch,” an IAFC press release read.
With thick smoke obscuring their vision, crew members were only able to identify the occupant, who they’d been told wore a walking boot at the time, after they felt the boot. Together, firefighters carried the woman out of harm’s way. She was treated on the scene, transported to Hilton Head Hospital and later to a Georgia burn unit, “where she made a remarkable recovery.”
Those in the home were co-workers who’d gathered to celebrate the retirement of the fire’s single victim, according to the release.
The IAFC said the trio’s actions emboided the “spirit of heroism” tied to their profession.
“The crew’s actions have been deeply appreciated by the surviving family and friends of the fire victim and other occupants,” the IAFC release read. “The positive outcomes of their heroic endeavors have left an indelible mark on the community.”
