CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. β A Chesterfield firefighter who helped save lives during Hurricane Helene's devastating flooding has been honored with the Virginia National Guard Bronze Star Medal.
James Bourdon, a firefighter with more than 20 years of experience, was part of the VAHART team deployed to southwest Virginia in September 2023. VAHART stands for Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, a partnership between Chesterfield Fire and EMS and the National Guard.
"It was evident that there was a lot of damage that had already taken place," Bourdon said.
The team was sent in two helicopters to help with rescue and rebuilding efforts after the hurricane left thousands unhoused and entire towns destroyed.
"We could see a large amount of water, it was encrusting the banks, leaving the banks and going into some of the residential areas," Bourdon said.
Bourdon's helicopter focused on mountain areas, following different drainage systems where the flooding had caused catastrophic damage.
"Our particular aircraft went up into the mountains following some different drainages," Bourdon said. "There were a lot of vehicles in the water, a lot of campers washing down, even houses that were impinged upon or even off their foundations."
The team executed several life-saving evacuations, including the rescue of a man named Carl who had been swept away when his house split in half during the flooding.
"We were able to see that Carl was in the trees, where he had originally washed out of his house where it had split in half and he was several hundred yards down stream in very turbulent water," Bourdon said.
After hoisting Carl into the helicopter, the team used their remaining fuel to search for Carl's wife, who had also been in the house when it broke apart.
"Carl notified us that his wife was actually in the house with him when it came apart and he felt like she had been washed out as well," Bourdon said.
The search had a happy ending when they discovered Carl's wife had survived the night in a remaining piece of the house that had come to rest on the riverbank.
"Carl was reunited with his wife, she had spent the night in one remaining part of the house that when it did rip apart the actual piece of the house had rested on the bank," Bourdon said.
Bourdon and 13 other VAHART members received a Bronze Star Medal for their mission.
On the anniversary of Helene's landfall, Bourdon and some of the VAHART team revisited the area and were encouraged to see the community rebuilding.
"We were able to see Carl and Linda again and shake hands with a lot of the locals there, which was just super special for us cause that's just something that will live in our memories," Bourdon said.
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