PITTSBURGH — Several of the emergency responders who assisted with rescues and evacuations following the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse were honored during a Port Authority board meeting on Friday.
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“There was a hundred-foot tall bridge that wasn’t there anymore, and our officers went down there, not knowing what was going on, to help save people,” said Katharine Kelleman, Port Authority CEO.
Port Authority police Lt. Rob DiPippa, Sgt. Shawn Mauro, officers Nicholas Masi, David Harris, Trastian Collins, and David Walters were all recognized, along with police Telecommunications Specialist Greg Sherman.
“Being a police officer, being any kind of first responder, you’re going to go down there, you’re gonna try to preserve life, and make sure you get people out as best you can,” said Masi.
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Masi was among the officers who went down to rescue the individuals who were trapped on the bridge. Each person made it to safety, with no deaths reported.
Meanwhile, first responders faced another danger.
“The first arriving officer, as soon as he keyed up, I could hear a noise... it was like a jet engine, and he said ‘there’s a major gas leak,’” Sherman recalled.
Other officers then rushed to evacuate nearby homes and control traffic.
“After all of the individuals were rescued, and only then, our officers themselves were treated at the scene for natural gas exposure,” Kelleman said. “And after they were cleared, they went back to work.”
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