Indian River Firefighter Recognized

The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company is pleased to identify that one of its firefighters was recognized for providing first responder assistance upon coming up on an accident scene near Frankford, Delaware. 

Illustrated below is a recent publication of the incident via the Cape Gazette - https://www.capegazette.com/node/241527

Guardian angel in a Beebe shirt saved my daughter’s life

Written by:  Joseph Henderson - June 14, 2022

My daughter Lauren graduated from Delmarva Christian High School May 27. My wife and I were so proud of her and we loved the spark in her eye – 17 and ready for the next phase of her life. What excitement!

Two days later, however, Lauren was in a horrific car accident in Frankford. As she told us later, she could barely get herself out of the car, which she thought was on fire. And just as she was asking God to please help her, a man came running to help. He was wearing a black Beebe Healthcare polo shirt. He maneuvered her a safe distance from the car, held her head in a cradle position to keep her spine safe and began to speak to her. She asked his name and when he told her his name was Joe, she was happy to tell him that her dad’s name is Joe and her pop-pop’s name is Joe! “Beebe Joe” stayed there with her, offering comfort, and holding her still and steady until the emergency medical technicians arrived and moved her to the ambulance.

At the same time, my wife and I, working in Ocean City, received a call from someone at the scene of the accident. They were calling from Lauren’s phone. The individual told us Lauren had been in a severe car accident and she was being airlifted to Christiana. We rushed to the hospital. Upon arrival, we were directed to the family room in the emergency department. As a former EMT myself, I knew that being ushered to the family room was not a good sign, but we stayed positive and kept praying.

Miraculously, Lauren walked out of the hospital 24 hours later and was grateful to be alive. We were grateful too, and immediately began searching for Lauren’s guardian angel, “Beebe Joe.”

We reached out to a family member who works at Beebe – looking for Joe. Lauren's story also reached her classmates, who shared it with their parents – everyone trying to find Joe – and we hit the jackpot. Lauren’s classmate’s mother remembered how her co-worker Joseph Thompson came into work May 29 and asked the team to pray. He told them he had just been with a young girl who was in an automobile accident and needed their prayers. We were elated that we had found Joe, because without his quick intervention, Lauren would not be here with us today.

A few days after we learned his name, we were able to speak to Joe, and we even got together with him on a FaceTime call so he could see Lauren. We learned that Joe only works one day a week at Beebe’s Margaret H. Rollins Lewes Campus as an environmental services technician. We also learned that he has been a member of the Indian River Fire Company for 20+ years. He saw the accident because he was on his way to work at Beebe, and he knew exactly what to do to help Lauren because of his fire company training. We wanted to recognize Joe and express our gratitude publicly because he was truly Lauren’s guardian angel that day. His concern, caring, graciousness and prayers still mean the world to me and my family.

Lauren’s accident also gave us pause. It reminded us that faith and family are the most important things in life. God bless us all – especially Joe – and keep us safe!

Illustrated herewith is Indian River’s profile highlighting Joseph H. Thompson, III - http://irvfc.com/profile.cfm?id=93

In the past, Joseph has held the positions of Captain, Rescue Captain, Lieutenant, and DVFA Alternate Delegate. Joseph serves on the Finance Oversight, Scholarship, and has served on the Special Investigation committees. Joseph also has been elected as President of the Sussex County Fire Chiefs Association and awarded the Henry C. Warrington Award and IR Firefighter of the Year awards.