Heartwarming letter describes how Austin firefighter went headfirst down storm drain for lost phone
(Eddie Branch)
AUSTIN, Texas - A tourist who was visiting Central Texas got to see firsthand how our first responders will go above and beyond to serve their community.
In a letter sent to Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk, Eddie Branch described the 'most incredible' experience he had while visiting Austin last week. "As I was getting out of the car from an Uber ride about 4:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon, the day before we were leaving, my phone slipped out of my pocket, bounced once, and fell directly into a storm drain in downtown Austin."
"I can't tell you what helpless feeling it was to lose my phone like that, wondering what in the hell am I going to do now!," Eddie continued in his letter. His wife suggested to him to call 911, Eddie says he explained to dispatch that it wasn't an emergency but asked if there was anything that they could do. A very nice man then got on the phone, who 'sympathized,' and said he had a truck in the area that had just finished work at a high rise who could possibly help.
"I didn't know exactly who I was talking to, but 10 minutes later, a fire truck pulled up next to me and four firefighters, one a young lady, jumped out of the truck, got the story, and went right to work. unlocking the storm drain cover and lifting it off," Eddie recounts in his letter. "The young lady immediately said, 'I'll get it' and she put on some gloves and lowered herself headfirst as far as she could, and then with two of the firefighters holding her legs, she retrieved my phone."
The letter goes on to describe how all four firefighters were very nice, funny, and had great personalities.
"I don't think this was luck. I think you just have a lot of great people in Austin who really care. I have told everyone that I have run into about this story since I got home, and no one can believe it. I highly doubt I would have had a similar outcome in any other city in the country," Eddie continues in the letter.