Claremore Firefighter Recalls Near-Death Experience, Loss Of Friend

<p>A Claremore firefighter, who nearly lost his life during a storm, is back at work – eight months after being knocked unconscious and suffering life-threatening injuries.</p>

Thursday, January 28th 2016, 12:03 am

By: News On 6

Claremore Firefighter Recalls Near-Death Experience, Loss Of Friend

A Claremore firefighter, who nearly lost his life during a storm, is back at work – eight months after being knocked unconscious and suffering life-threatening injuries.

Lieutenant Zane James is now on the road to recovery, but missing his fellow firefighter and friend, Captain Jason Farley, who drowned to death.

For the first time, James spoke about the loss of his friend, his recovery and where he plans to go from here.

It's been eight months since Farley was killed after rushing floodwaters forced him through a storm drain. James was also sucked into the same drain but survived.

James looks like any other firefighter - ready for the next call - but underneath his smile, he's a forever changed man; wondering why he’s still here and Farley isn’t.

"It’s always going to affect me,” he said. “And I guarantee you, until the day I die, when rain comes through or anything like that it will always trigger me to think about it."

May 23, 2015, started out as an ordinary day at the station; as rain fell, calls started coming in - one from a family on Archer Court. Firefighters had just rescued them when Farley lost his footing - James thought he had fallen in a manhole.

"Nobody was backing off, everyone's natural instinct is to go in and grab," he explained.

But, the rushing waters took control.

"I went right in and that's when I realized, and I'm almost sure I went underneath him first," James said.

He was knocked unconscious, ingested water and traveled through nearly 300 feet of drainage pipe.

James said, "As I came out and hit my head, that’s what brought me back to consciousness. I was hung up in a fence for a little bit."

Firefighters ran to help; Farley was nowhere in sight.

"I was in a daze. I didn't know what to expect,” James said. “You sit there and pray and hope for the best."

James was rushed to the hospital with a bruised heart, lungs, and he eventually got norovirus. Farley was eventually found stuck a few feet into the drainage pipe, lifeless.

James said he has struggled to understand why he’s still here today.

“That's been one of the biggest struggles I've had in trying to get over in the past six months," he said.

James’ wife, Brooklynn Hall said, "As a wife of a public servant, that's the last thing you think will happen, especially in a small community; and the worst possible thing that could happen is to get that phone call."

Farley's wife, Shelli, and their daughter, Hannah, were out of the country when they got the call. As they made their way home, thousands of other firefighters lined the streets; and, days later, James was by Shelli's side during the funeral.

"In something that was bad, the good thing is all the people who were out there paying their respects to Jason who had probably never even met Jason before," he said.

The months since haven't been easy for firefighters, or for Farley's family.

For James, one thing that's helped during his recovery is receiving cards from adults and kids all over the country.

He said, "Makes you appreciate every day with your kids, your family and even the guys you work with. You don't realize how much they mean to you until that situation happens."

Although Farley can never be replaced, firefighters hope to fill his boots and be there for his daughter.

James said, "Hopefully when she graduates college, we are all going to be there. And, hopefully, when she gets married, we are all going to be there."

There are reminders of Farley everywhere - above the door, on the fire truck and close to firefighters’ hearts.

"There's all kind of things around us that remind us Jason left a long legacy down here that, I guarantee, will last through my career and even further," James said.

He said Farley is a true hero who will never be forgotten.

There is an on-going federal investigation to evaluate safety procedures and see if there was anything else that could have been done to keep Farley and his crew safe.

We'll let you know when those findings are released.