Recognize Five Maryland Heroes
Published: March 8, 2006
Imagine being a member of a helicopter crew asked on a Saturday night to fly through the darkness for nearly an hour on a dangerous mission of mercy. Put yourself in the place of crewmen told that they would have to deal with power lines high in the air, a tall smokestack belching flames — and three workers clinging to a platform at the top of the stack.
It would be enough to strike fear into the minds of even the most courageous. Yet five Marylanders asked to undertake that very mission on Saturday night didn’t hesitate. They piled into their Maryland State Police helicopter and came to the Ohio Valley.
Here, their courage and skill were responsible for saving the lives of three men who probably would have perished without the Marylanders’ help.
The three were rescued from the top of a smokestack at the Mitchell Power Plant, south of Moundsville. After fire broke out in the stack, emergency workers determined that the only way to rescue the three men was by helicopter. Because Cumberland, Md., is a shorter flight than that from areas of West Virginia where trained chopper rescue crews were available, our neighbors to the east were called.
Those aboard the helicopter were civilian pilot David Cooper, Maryland State Police Troopers First Class Larry Levasseur and Alex Kelly, and Cumberland, Md., Fire Dept. Capt. Buzz Davis and Lt. Steve Grogg. We hope their community and state recognize their heroism and dedication to helping others.
The five heroes have received something important in the way of a reward: They have the knowledge that they saved three lives. They deserve more — and we urge West Virginia state officials to provide it by giving the five Marylanders official recognition and thanks for their courage and compassion.
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