by SGT Zoe Morris, West Virginia National Guard
West Virginia Army National Guard SGT Zachary Mills received the Division of Natural Resources (DNR) Meritorious Service Medal Sept. 22, 2017 for his actions during the historic West Virginia floods in June 2016. Displaying exceptional bravery and skill, SGT Mills was honored for saving the lives of more than 14 people.
“It’s kind of cliché, but I was just doing my job,” SGT Mills said. “I signed up for the National Guard, and I signed up for the Division of Natural Resources and the swift water rescue team to help people in that time of need.”
SGT Mills – a cannon crewmember with 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery Regiment – in his civilian job, is a law enforcement officer for the DNR as well as a member of its swift water rescue team as an assistant boat operator.V
On June 23, 2016, SGT Mills and his DNR partner Sergeant Chris Lester were called to the town of White Sulphur Springs as hundreds of people were stranded in their homes in one of the worst-hit areas in the State. DNR Lieutenant Dennis K. Feazell recounted the actions of SGT Mills and Lester during the award ceremony.
The two quickly got to work using their training as swift water rescue responders and knowledge of rope rescue techniques to start pulling stranded citizens from their homes. They began on Big Draft Road, where they used kayaks and ropes to rescue four citizens from their home.
Moving further into White Sulphur Springs, Lester and SGT Mills rescued four people who had sought refuge in the second story of their house.
Cries for help then drew the two officers’ attention to a burning house across the creek from where they were. They could see a woman clinging to a tree beside her burning home, which had been set ablaze by a propane explosion. The distance between the officers and the victim was 180 yards of rushing water, debris, burning structures and darkness.
Putting themselves at great risk, the officers made several attempts to get to the woman with the snout rig. Unable to reach her, they came up with a different plan. Using their trucks, they moved within 75 yards of the victim, then traversed steep, mountainous terrain in extreme darkness to get to the water’s edge. With help from a local river guide, the men used a three-man pyramid formation and began to wade in chest-deep water, fighting strong currents to make their way upstream to the victim.
When they reached the victim, they found her clinging to the top of the tree. Her clothes had been melted off, and she had third-degree burns all over her body.
Discovering the tree was too hot to touch, the men splashed water on it to cool it enough so they could get to the victim. After rescuing her from the tree, the men were able to brave the swift currents and move her to the water’s edge.
There, they had another obstacle to overcome – getting the woman up the steep, slippery bank. Fighting exhaustion and hypothermic symptoms, the men climbed 50 feet to deliver her to emergency medical units.
“The woman was rushed to the hospital, and our officers went back to work,” Feazell said. “They then responded to Mill Hill Road, where they used wading and rope rescue techniques to rescue five more stranded citizens out of the flood-ravaged zone.”
Feazell explained that SGT Mills’ and Lester’s preparedness, work ethic, coolness under pressure and quick thinking were among the deciding factors in saving the lives of over 14 people.
“It’s kind of cliché, but I was just doing my job,” SGT Mills said. “I signed up for the National Guard, and I signed up for the Division of Natural Resources and the swift water rescue team to help people in that time of need.”
