Western North Carolina remembers firefighter who died saving community members from Helene

WAY. NEW TIMING TONIGHT. FIRST RESPONDERS AND A COMMUNITY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA ARE REMEMBERING A FALLEN FIREFIGHTER. THIS AFTERNOON, THEY GATHERED FOR A FINAL FAREWELL. TONY GARRISON DIED TRYING TO SAVE TEN OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS AND TWO OF HIS NEIGHBORS DURING HALLOWEEN. OUR PEYTON FURTADO TAKES US TO THE PROCESSION. EARLIER TODAY. FIRST RESPONDERS LINED UP ALONG CHARLOTTE HIGHWAY, COMPARING NOTES ON RELIEF EFFORTS AND REMEMBERING A LOVABLE LOCAL FIREFIGHTER WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY. NOTHING IS GOING TO BE NORMAL ANYMORE. THERE’S GOING TO BE A NEW NORMAL TUESDAY. FIREFIGHTERS PAUSED FOR WHAT FELT LIKE THE FIRST TIME IN WEEKS. TO REMEMBER, FAIRVIEW BATTALION FIRE CHIEF AND GREEN CREEK VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER TONY GARRISON. THE BELOVED FIRST RESPONDER DIED DURING HALLOWEEN, WORKING TO SAVE HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HE WAS ONE OF 13 KILLED IN A MUDSLIDE. LISTEN TO THE RADIO. LISTEN TO THE CHIEF OF GARRETT CREEK ON THE RADIO. WE WERE STUCK HERE. WE COULDN’T GET THERE TO HIM. TUESDAY. FIRST RESPONDERS WATCHED AS GARRISON WAS ESCORTED TO HIS LAST CALL. HIS FUNERAL NOT THE FIRST, AND CERTAINLY NOT THE LAST AFTER THE STORM. IT’S TOUGH BECAUSE. BECAUSE FIREFIGHTERS ARE BUILT TO THEY WANT TO SERVE AND THEY’RE GOING TO GO AND DO WHATEVER IT TAKES. THEY’RE GOING TO DO IT. AND WHEN THEY CAN’T, YOU KNOW, IT LEAVES THEM WITH, YOU KNOW, A SENSE OF, I GUESS, FAILURE. THESE FIRST RESPONDERS ARE GETTING USED TO THEIR NEW NORMAL. STILL MOURNING NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. HUG YOUR FAMILY. LOVE ON YOUR FAMILY. YOU MAY NOT SEE THEM TOMORROW. TOMORROW IS NOT. GIVEN. TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED TO US. SO LOVE ON YOUR FAMILY. THESE FIREFIGHTERS TELL ME ONE OF THE BEST WAYS YOU CAN HELP THEM IS TO OFFER THEM YOUR SUPPORT. LET THEM KNOW THEY ARE LOVED AND APPRECIATED IN YOUR OW

Tuesday afternoon, first responders and community members wished a fallen firefighter a final farewell.Tony Garrison died trying to save a dozen people during Helene, 10 of them his family members.Buncombe County first responders lined up along Charlotte Highway, comparing notes on relief efforts and remembering a loveable, funny, selfless firefighter. “Nothing’s going to be normal anymore. There’s going to be a new normal,” said Reynolds Fire Chief Vince Carter.Firefighters paused for what felt like the first time in two weeks to remember their fallen friend.Officials say Garrison died while working alongside his nephew to rescue 11 people trapped by a mudslide. When flooding triggered a second mudslide, it swept all 13 people away. “You know, we listened to the radio, listened to the Chief of Garren Creek on the radio,” Carter said. “We were stuck here. We couldn’t get there to him.”Men and women watched Tuesday as Garrison was escorted to his last call. His funeral was not the first and certainly will not be the last from Helene. Carter said, “It’s tough because those firefighters are built to, they want to serve. And they’re going to go and do whatever it takes. And, when they can, you can’t, you know, and leave them with, you know, a sense of, I guess, failure.”These emergency workers are still getting used to their new normal while mourning neighbors, friends, and family members. “Hug your family, love on your family,” Carter said. “Tomorrow is not promised to us. So, love on your family.”

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. —

Tuesday afternoon, first responders and community members wished a fallen firefighter a final farewell.

Tony Garrison died trying to save a dozen people during Helene, 10 of them his family members.

Buncombe County first responders lined up along Charlotte Highway, comparing notes on relief efforts and remembering a loveable, funny, selfless firefighter.

“Nothing’s going to be normal anymore. There’s going to be a new normal,” said Reynolds Fire Chief Vince Carter.

Firefighters paused for what felt like the first time in two weeks to remember their fallen friend.

Officials say Garrison died while working alongside his nephew to rescue 11 people trapped by a mudslide. When flooding triggered a second mudslide, it swept all 13 people away.

“You know, we listened to the radio, listened to the Chief of Garren Creek on the radio,” Carter said. “We were stuck here. We couldn’t get there to him.”

Men and women watched Tuesday as Garrison was escorted to his last call. His funeral was not the first and certainly will not be the last from Helene.

Carter said, “It’s tough because those firefighters are built to, they want to serve. And they’re going to go and do whatever it takes. And, when they can, you can’t, you know, and leave them with, you know, a sense of, I guess, failure.”

These emergency workers are still getting used to their new normal while mourning neighbors, friends, and family members.

“Hug your family, love on your family,” Carter said. “Tomorrow is not promised to us. So, love on your family.”

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