New Philadelphia’s newest firefighter was sworn in just days after the most intense rescue of her young career.
Sarah Valentine joins New Philadelphia from Bolivar, where she will remain a part-time firefighter. On Monday last week, she and two other firefighters pulled a 28-year-old man out of an upside-down pickup truck that was submerged in a Canton creek. He had no pulse, but rescue workers brought him back to life on the shoreline. Officials most recently said he was receiving care at a Columbus-area facility.
Valentine has only been a firefighter for a year. She has trained as a combat medic in the Ohio National Guard, which she says helped her in that situation.
Valentine praised the other firefighters who dove in – Kyle Gallagher from Canton and Ashley Curtner from Bolivar – and Lt. Kent Thompson who initially took charge of the situation when witnesses flagged down their ambulance.
She is grateful for the praise from everyone who saw the story online and from Bolivar Fire Chief Shawn Lynch, who said he couldn’t have handpicked a better group to respond.
Mayor Joel Day swore in Valentine on Friday at the New Philadelphia Fire Station in front of family, friends and members of the New Philadelphia and Bolivar fire departments.
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