Excellent article and interview Mr. Gabbert. ( CBS 5) Brendan McDonough, 21, is the lone survivor of the 20-man team that went into the Yarnell Hill Fire as it spread throughout central Arizona. Then, on June 30, 2013, while McDonoughDonut as hed been dubbed by his crewserved as lookout, they confronted a freak, 3,000-degree inferno in nearby Yarnell, Arizona. He took a job with the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides financial and other assistance to injured wildland firefighters or their families in the case of a line-of-duty death. The US has an overclassification problem, which includes classifying documents about Santa Claus. The winds that had been driving the fire away from the Hotshots began to turn 180 degrees, propelled by what some fire officials call a "perfect storm" of gusts up to 50 miles per hour. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. Follow. Brendan McDonagh is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Asset Management Agency in the Republic of Ireland.He was appointed to the position on 5 May 2009 by Brian Lenihan, Ireland's Minister of Finance. It took me a while to realize that the depression was not going away and was getting worse., He says the families of those killed in the fire are supportive and treat him like family, but he says he knows it sometimes hurts them to be around him. McDonough walked about half of it. Their superintendent, Eric Marsh, was in a desperate crunch after four . restore the true meaning of Memorial Day by connecting Americans to the sacrifices of our military, law enforcement, firefighters and rescue personnel. "The city has fully complied with all of the laws and employment policies that direct survivor benefits," the statement said. Yeah. Brendan McDonough joined the Granite Mountain Hotshots as a seasonal employee in April 2011. He is Chairman of PEAL Capital Group Limited. They have also lived in Saint Cloud, FL and Ringgold, GA. Brendan is related to Richard J McDonough and Kathleen Ellen McDonough as well as 1 additional person. He said his evacuation from the area was a close call but not chaotic. Every sticker, every shirt, every corner is a memory, But Prescott is such a loving town that I couldn. I would never if my brothers did make mistakes, I would never keep that a secret to put in a book. Brendan McDonough, 21, was serving as lookout and relaying key information to his team when the wildfire suddenly changed direction 19 firefighters confirmed died Arizona town of Yarnell Fire. Certainly one or more people who were on the fire know, but until they come forward we may never have every answer. 1981 Graduate of Bentley College in Waltham. What we dont know are exactly who made certain decisions and their rationale. Steed told him he was listening to it and asked McDonough if hed heard it. Little good can come from more of the same. "No, I never question the decisions they've made," he said, seated in the ready room beneath crossed axes affixed to one wall. Paula Ann Reed McDonough passed away at her home in Keene Valley on Feb. 5, 2021. t sell out my brothers that saved my life in order to do a book. Former Granite Mountain Hotshot Brendan McDonough has been working with author Stephan Talty. On August 7, 2019, McDonough was loaned to USL Championship side Charlotte Independence for the remainder of the season. ", Incredibly, McDonough says quitting firefighting is "not an option. With the support of his friends and family members and the Prescott community,Brendan McDonough now has created purpose from his pain by establishing Holdfast Recovery. I lost my family.. "From where they were, they could see it picking up. He, s collaborating with best-selling author Stephan Talty, author of. The hotshot crew was the best thing that ever happened to me. Today he is a public speaker and CEO of Holdfast Recovery. McDonough was released by Vancouver at the end of the 2019 season. Do you think there might be an opportunity for you to follow up with Brendan if you feel some good questions were raised? My daughter comes up to me, saying, Hey Daddy. Brendan McDonough is on Facebook. Brendan McDonough was born on 27 December, 1996 in Lancaster, California, United States. The true story behind the events that inspired the major motion picture Only the Brave. I said, 'Okay.'". I dont know why they canceled the deposition., Nothing crazy or new would have come out of it, says McDonough. I probably would have continued doing drugs, I probably would have ended up in prison or with an overdose or dead. Carlos Medina was named by neighbors as the bishop murder suspect. Brendan McDonough, Yarnell Hill Fire survivor, speaks at the memorial service for the 19 firefighters that died on the fire. I sunk. So they kind of relayed to me, 'Hey, Donut, we got eyes on it,'" McDonough remembers his captain telling him. The interview with Brendan McDonough is being opened again for comments after the strategic pause and a cleaning up of the thread. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. There isn. What led to the deaths of the experienced team of firefighters remains under official investigation by Arizona, whose deputy state forester Jerry Payne caused an uproar last week by publicly blaming the crew's slain leader Eric Marsh for violating firefighting rules. McDonough and his wife, Lynette have three children, daughter, Caroline, and sons, Patrick and Brendan. "That's not going to remember my brothers the right way," McDonough said. I just have the title of Yarnell Hill Lone Survivor. He enlisted in the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a crew of elite hotshot firefighters based in Prescott, Arizona. Because of his experience gained in planning festivals and live-events, Brendan was hired to be the Festival Coordinator for the National Folk Festival to be hosted in Butte. And I came to a point where I just didn't have any more tears.". He is currently single. On June 30, 2013 the Yarnell Hill Fire claimed their lives when a firestorm roared through brush 90 miles northwest of Phoenix, leaving McDonough the only survivor of the 20-man Granite Mountain Hotshot crew. McDonough says the team could now see what was happening -- contradicting some accounts that they were unaware the fire was heading toward them. Brendan Smialowski--AFP-Getty Images . "They said, 'If you need to get out of there, go ahead and get out of there we want you to be safe too,' you know? Almost two hours after it was reported at 4:47 p.m. that the Hotshots had deployed protective personal shelters, an Arizona state paramedic hiked up to the site of torched chaparral and confirmed the worst. Theres nothing that is going to be in there that people dont already know., The book, he says, is about his life his background, drug problems, burglary conviction, and becoming a father at age 19. City officials declined CBS News' multiple requests for an interview, but Monday they sent a statement. staying in one spot observing the fire, taking weather observations, and updating the rest of the crew on the status of the fire and where it was in relation to their location. Celebrating 60 Years of PHOS-CHEK: Honoring George Roby, a Hero of Fire Safety. The crew had 11 kids among them, including McDonough's own two-year-old daughter, and three not yet born who lost dads they'll never meet. All 19 of his brother Hotshots had just been killed by the ripping Yarnell Hill blaze in the largest loss of life among firefighters since the 9/11 attacks. Yeah, way off in the distance I could see it coming in. Fellow first responders and men who are struggling with drugs and alcohol have a safe harbor to recover and free themselves from addiction just as Brendan did. Superintendent Eric Marsh had been assigned as Division Supervisor that day, in charge of the part of the fire that included the Granite Mountain crew, temporarily supervised by Steed. Inside the Granite Mountain Hotshots' station house in Prescott, in his first visit only weeks after the catastrophic loss, McDonough felt at ease -- enough to reveal his deep pain over not being with his friends, who were all like family to him, when they died in their boots. At another point, McDonough says in front of his children, just get me a gun, I want to kill myself., He also calls his wife vulgar names and says, If you remember our conversation, I will slit your throat if you say no to me.. David O'Connell was the auxiliary bishop of the Los Angeles Archdiocese who was found dead in a home on February 18, 2023. Brendan was on the verge of becoming a hopeless, inveterate heroin addict when he, for the sake of his young daughter, decided to turn his life around. Map & Directions [+]. Division Controller at Ionics, Inc.. I, m still going to be making truck payments, I, m still going to be struggling to pay for my medical insurance. t think it was important enough to hear my opinion again. I have no clue, says McDonough. McDonough, in a different location, escaped uninjured after getting a ride out of the area in a, He now lives in Prescott, Arizona with his girlfriend, his four-year-old daughter, and the girlfriend, s three-year-old daughter. Once the smoke began to clear, Arizona DPS Paramedic-Officer Eric Tarr was lowered by helicopter to the area to triage any survivors and found what he later called a "moonscape appearance." The mother told police she put McDonough off, but he eventually showed up at her house on Oct. 11. McDonough was scheduled to provide sworn testimony during a deposition on May 28, 2015 in Phoenix, but he said it was canceled by the State of Arizona. Brendan McDonough CEO Bio Brendan was on the verge of becoming a hopeless, inveterate heroin addict when he, for the sake of his young daughter, decided to turn his life around. Daddy no, the children yell, according to the warrant. I was a dad before I got hired. The sooner the better," Councilman Jim Lamerson said. I lost nineteen amazing men that were my structure, he says. But that latter point proves a wake-up call for Brendan. Im not going to be riding around in a Maserati from a book.. Working with them, says McDonough, I was trying to heal as a person and help others heal, and share my stories, and kind of work with the fundraisers.. 86305 An investigation into the firefighters' deaths is under way, but officials have said the crew moving on foot in rugged terrain was aware as it changed positions that the direction of the wind pushing the fire was shifting. Mary McAleese, to Butte, Montana, in May of 2006. And I came to a point where I just didn't have any more tears.". Sunk into my seat, I sunk into myself," he said. Powered by. To learn more about organizations helping the families of the 19 fallen firefighters, visit Prescott Firefighters Charities and The Wildland Firefighter Foundation. Aug. 7, 2013 — -- Five weeks after the worst day of his young life, Brendan McDonough still hears the cell phones that were ringing in the back of his fire truck, the agonizing peal of loved ones desperate to reach his 19 missing buddies in the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew fighting a raging wildfire on a scorched Arizona mountainside. But I am going to take care of my family, Im going to make sure I have food on the table. Reels. Meanwhile, a young man named Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller), a slacker and a stoner, has gotten a young woman (Natalie Hall) pregnant. As the other 19 firefighters inexplicably left the safety of an already burned area and hiked through unburned brush toward a ranch previously identified as a safe place a sudden wind shift turned the fire in their direction. [4] He was officially added to the club's roster on March 6, 2019, signing an MLS contract for 2019 with options through to 2022. Hey, its about time for you to get out of there, said Steed over the radio. Brendan McDonough was a Fire Explorer at the age of 14 and ten years later was in his third season with the Granite Mountain Hotshots when the unthinkable happened. Brendan entered the world of event planning when he was selected to coordinate the first An R R Montana Irish Festival in Historic Uptown Butte in 2003. Steed told him he was listening to it and asked McDonough if he. The Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite. The festival committee is all-volunteer, and each year the event grows in awareness and recognition from all over the world. Brendan discusses []. Walking out, he met up with a member of the Blue Ridge Hotshots, who gave him a ride out. "I can see them in my head, playing with their kids," he said, pausing as his heart filled with emotion over the losses. Additional portions will be broadcast tonight on "World News With Diane Sawyer" and "Nightline". Did he have any interaction with the crew that day? In talking with physically and mentally scarred firefighters and their families, he says, he realized that he needed to take care of himself and get some professional help. Have you talked with him since you ran it? COLLEGE: At Georgetown, the 6-foot-2 defender made 56 starts in 63 appearances, collecting two goals and two . Discover Brendan McDonough's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Reportedly in that radio conversation, Marsh ordered Steed to have the crew leave the safety zone and meet him at the ranch. I know they were asked to come to Yarnell if it was possible and Eric said. Have a wildland fire news tip? Eric Marsh didnt kill eighteen other people himself. When fire managers couldn't contact the crew, a state police paramedic was dropped off by a helicopter and hiked to the crew's deployment site. "Why wasn't I there with them?" But at first, this one on a boulder-strewn hillside at 5,000 feet outside the small town of Yarnell, Ariz. seemed nothing out of the ordinary to the team of dogged firefighters dispatched in their white fire buggies that fateful day from nearby Prescott. s what really pushed me to get help. t reach their full potential until close to the time they deployed their fire shelters. "This is where, you know, the best memories of my life will be.". Written By Christiana Kimmich. Everything was black, and he notice a chainsaw blade and a pick ax head with the handle burned away. Im closing this article to comments for a few days. On June 30, 2013 the Yarnell Hill Fire claimed their lives when a firestorm roared through brush 90 miles.