https://www.holdfastrecovery.com "I wouldn't have traded the years I spent with those men for anything in this world," he told the Courier. According to our Database, He has no children. Did he have any interaction with the crew that day? The surviving member of an elite Arizona firefighting crew that was overrun by flames says he went numb after learning the 19 men he considered his brothers were dead, and he wonders why he alone was spared what he calls a "horrible, freak accident.". He is from United States. 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. After about an hour, he left. Every sticker, every shirt, every corner is a memory, he says. View all posts by Bill Gabbert. I wanted to talk to you because I feel the community thinks I sold out. Things changed very rapidly and fast," he said. Their superintendent, Eric Marsh, was in a desperate crunch after four hotshots . Its really nice to be able to have that.. That was my life. When we heard guys were deploying I remember him being a leader and doing the job he needed to do. m a reminder about Yarnell. That was the biggest thing. He says people dont understand how much face-to-face conversation Steed and Marsh engaged in that afternoon. Additional portions will be broadcast tonight on "World News With Diane Sawyer" and "Nightline". As a sophomore at Westwood High School in suburban Boston he landed a gig at local sports radio station . $50. For the first eight months after the tragedy he spent much of his time at funerals, memorials, investigations, fundraisers, and interviews. 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. 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. Pushed by strong winds created by a passing thunderstorm, the fire burned over the crew, killing them all, even though they sought protection inside their emergency fire shelters. He says everyone else was telling their side of the story, and he wanted to tell his side. ", Tarr radioed in his awful discovery, "I have 19 confirmed fatalities. "No, I never question the decisions they've made," he said, seated in the ready room beneath crossed axes affixed to one wall. CBS News obtained paperwork that shows Ashcraft did earn a full-time salary. He has attended every funeral and visited each of the Nineteen's families. He had never talked to me face to face, and Chief Willis did another article saying that, McDonough explains that the post-fire trauma, the investigations, and multiple lawsuits were a huge strain on him, and he certainly didn, everyone was trying to blame them and I just wanted people to know that these guys were amazing men and they got caught in a really bad situation. Brendan McDonough, Yarnell Hill Fire survivor, speaks at the memorial service for the 19 firefighters that died on the fire. Im not going to be riding around in a Maserati from a book.. Neal McDonough and his wife Ruve McDonough attend the 16th annual Golden Trailer Awards at Saban Theatre on May 6, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. But I remember hearing that. No more firefighting. She knows. Brendan R. McDonough is a Butte native and graduated from Butte Central High School and Montana Tech with a degree in Business Informational Technology. 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. 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. The next day on the fire near Yarnell, Steed, as the acting Superintendent may have thought that McDonough was not quite 100 percent recovered when he assigned him to serve as a lookout for the crew. He was the beloved husband of Donna (Fratus) McDonough. All wildfires can become dangerous. The third result is Brendan McDonough age 40s in Winter Springs, FL in the Tuscawilla neighborhood. Hey, its about time for you to get out of there, said Steed over the radio. "This is where, you know, the best memories of my life will be.". Brendan McDonough's net worth I'm kind of numb at that point. 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. Nothing crazy or new would have come out of it, It would have been more of a reconfirmation of what I saw that day and trying to make sure my brothers were not going to get blamed for something they didn, t do. McDonough, who describes himself as a knuckle dragger, is actually writing parts of the book with Talty. / CBS/AP, PRESCOTT, Ariz. "Everything seemed normal, not threatening. Reportedly in that radio conversation, Marsh ordered Steed to have the crew leave the safety zone and meet him at the ranch. Career [ edit] Early life [ edit] McDonough was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. t make any sense, and some people really struggle with that. But I remember hearing that. McDonough says he was collecting weather observations from his lookout post when the weather warning came over the radio. And I guess the State didnt think it was important enough to hear my opinion again. McDonough was released by Vancouver at the end of the 2019 season. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "May the wind be always at your back". 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. It was during that hike that the crew became entrapped and were killed. Brendan McDonough is on Facebook. And I came to a point where I just didn't have any more tears.". That was the last time McDonough talked to them. Covered in soot over his bright yellow protective clothing and heavy boots as darkness fell on June 30, waves of guilt for being the only Hotshot spared death was a gut punch made all the more painful by the chirping phones behind him in the buggy. Im going to even things up., At another point he writes, do you want to see your kids grow up? Idont know, really, I mean, thats not for me to answer, says McDonough. When we heard guys were deploying I remember him being a leader and doing the job he needed to do. Brendan McDonough (born December 27, 1996) is an American soccer player. There isnt much recorded radio traffic between them, McDonough explains, because they were working together. Verified. "I was the lookout that day. Former Granite Mountain Hotshot Brendan McDonough has been working with author Stephan Talty. It saved my life. McDonough agreed. 27.5K followers. Their superintendent, Eric Marsh, was in a desperate . When the fire shifted and moved toward McDonough, the rate of spread increased dramatically. "They made me the man, and father I am today. You cant always be strong and tough if you cant even help yourself., Some people thought that I sold out by doing the book and that I was going to write about something that I didnt tell the investigators about, but thats not the truth. Im like anyone else. 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. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. is 1.88m (6ft 2in) . I loved fighting wildfires. He played three years for Charlotte Catholic High School, while spending his junior year in Germany training with both FT Braunschweig and Eintracht Braunschweig. "Coming home, that was the worst feeling ever. Meanwhile, a young man named Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller), a slacker and a stoner, has gotten a young woman (Natalie Hall) pregnant. Every one of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, except for McDonough, was burned alive sometime after 4:30 p.m. on June 30, when the Yarnell Hill Fire suddenly whipped 180 degrees around and cut off their escape route from a scrub brush meadow to a nearby ranch. Skilled in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Modeling . The Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite. 86305 Brendan discusses his struggles resulting from survivor's guilt, including depression, suicidal thoughts, drug and alcohol abuse, and the post traumatic growth that has led him to create a treatment center to help others that are struggling. ABC News' Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report. I felt like a failure because I couldnt support my daughter, because no one wanted to hire a felon. Brendan McDonough, 40, allegedly sent a series of text messages to his wife, who he is separated from, in which he threatened to kill her and take the children. He was the beloved husband of Donna (Fratus) McDonough. Brendan McDonough 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. Brendan McDonough was born on 27 December, 1996 in Lancaster, California, United States. After attending Our Lady of Mercy and East Greenwich High School, he proudly served in the United States Air Force. Ive always wanted to be in a job of service to others. Posts. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. What we dont know are exactly who made certain decisions and their rationale. Brendan McDonough, 21, was serving as lookout and relaying key information to his team when the wildfire suddenly changed direction Andrew Ashcraft died beside 18 of his 'hotshot' comrades on. Brendan McDonough is the lone survivor of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. The Friendly Sons and Daughters of St. Patrick host a banquet annually on March 16th. And then came very bad news that smoke-choked afternoon. Post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism, opioid addictionareparticularly common among the demographics Holdfast Recovery treats due to the trauma individuals face in these careers. 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. I don. You may be able to find another website where this is encouraged, but its not the vision I have for Wildfire Today. I felt like a failure because I couldn, t support my daughter, because no one wanted to hire a felon. Father Believer Granite Mountain Hotshot Author Speaker Holdfast Recovery. The incident occurred in March 2022, but gained attention on Reddit in February 2023. s what really pushed me to get help. "I said to them, 'My husband was a full-time employee, he went to work full-time for you,'" Ashcraft's wife Juliann Ashcraft told Evans, "and their response to me was, 'Perhaps there was a communication issue in your marriage.'". production assistant Ryan Needham . 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. Brendan McDonough is photographed in front of the Butte-Silver Bow Courthouse on April 1. The festival was held in Missoula for three years before relocating to Butte. [3], On January 11, 2019, McDonough was selected 35th overall in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft by Vancouver Whitecaps FC. t understand how much face-to-face conversation Steed and Marsh engaged in that afternoon. I, m still going to be making truck payments, I, m still going to be struggling to pay for my medical insurance. "From where they were, they could see it picking up. According to our Database, He has no children. https://brendanjmcdonough.com/book/ "Why wasn't I there with them?" "I walked into the shelter deployment site and determined that the voices I had heard were coming from still functioning radios. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. I was trying to heal as a person and help others heal, and share my stories, and kind of work with the fundraisers. Everything was black, and he notice a chainsaw blade and a pick ax head with the handle burned away. McDonough said he has asked himself "a million times" why he survived and his fellow Hotshots didn't. Yeah, way off in the distance I could see it coming in. Just -- a typical day, going direct on a fire," he told ABC News. The Butte Friendly Sons and Daughters of St. Patrick is the longest-running St. Patrick's Day tradition in Butte. She was 67. I lost nineteen amazing men that were my structure, he says. More from Jim Burneka: https://firefightercancerconsultants.. Should have clarified, providing Brendan an oppurtunity to speak. View the map. The important facts that lead to lessons learned are known. 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. Brendan McDonough was the Granite Mountain Hotshots' lookout June 30 and wasn't with the rest of the crew when it was overtaken by the Yarnell Hill Fire amid shifting winds. Through our industry-leading publications, digital media and events, we cover the latest developments, innovations, and standards in apparatus and equipment, clinical breakthroughs, and training for Fire & EMS personnel. One of the countrys largest and most prestigious celebrations of the arts, the National Folk Festival, is coming to Butte for a three-year tenure beginning in July 2008. She said the states case is strong because McDonoughs wife made an audio recording of his assault on her, the child and the dog, and began there are voluminous text messages. Sun-bleached T-shirts from fire units across the nation, helmets, wilting flowers, rain-rippled handwritten notes, photos, and 19 sets of everything from shovels to crosses, bandanas and flags drape the fencing for two blocks. The job lasted about a year. Thats what the brotherhood is really about., That is what I lost that day, he adds. During the 27-day event volunteers walked segments of the route. t reach their full potential until close to the time they deployed their fire shelters. McDonough called his wife and talked about killing himself and said he wanted to say goodbye to the children. ( 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. On this page we provide everything you need to know about our program; however, the fastest way to learn about how we are saving lives is to call us and speak to Brendan personally. Wife: Not Available: Sibling: Not Available: Children: Not Available: Brendan McDonough Net Worth. She was born July 25, 1953, in Plattsburgh to her parents Royce Bradford and Argenta LeClair Reed.. Yep! He said he knew the calls were from family members trying to reach the fallen firefighters. 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. At his wife Kari's insistence, McDonough briefly gave up the bike after a traffic . PHOTOS: Brendan 'Donut' McDonough Watched the Roaring Fire Turn on His Friends Every one of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, except for McDonough, was burned alive sometime after 4:30 p.m. on June 30, when the Yarnell Hill Fire suddenly whipped 180 degrees around and cut off their escape route from a scrub brush meadow to a nearby ranch. I would never if my brothers did make mistakes, I would never keep that a secret to put in a book. Steed told him he was listening to it and asked McDonough if hed heard it. So they kind of relayed to me, 'Hey, Donut, we got eyes on it,'" McDonough remembers his captain telling him. McDonough says he was collecting weather observations from his lookout post when the weather warning came over the radio. McDonough was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was a volunteer fireman in East Greenwich. One key characterand the only firefighter to survive because he was posted some distance away on watch dutyis Brendan McDonough. Whilemedical(PTSD) problems forced him to give up his career as a firefighter, he believes that his larger purpose in life is to help others recover from trauma like he suffered and to offer treatments such as faith BASED counseling and therapy for recovery. Lone survivor Brendan McDonough and Only the Brave moviemakers honor the Granite Mountain Hotshots killed in Arizona in 2013. "Only the Brave," directed by Joseph Kosinski, stars Josh Brolin as Eric Marsh, Granite Mountain's supervisor; Jennifer Connelly as his wife, Amanda; Miles Teller as Brendan "Donut". Their superintendent, Eric Marsh, was in a desperate crunch after four . The relentless firestorm ultimately trapped his hotshot brothers, tragically killing all 19 of them within minutes. Brendan has done much to provide support for both veterans and first responders, as they are close to his heart. August 7, 2013 / 2:04 PM He told ABC his time with the crew was both the best and worst memories of his life. The day before, he had been sent home sick by Jesse Steed, Captain and second in command of the crew. Brendan has been getting lots of support from loved ones and friends and even strangers reaching out to him. Brendan R. McDonough is a Butte native and graduated from Butte Central High School and Montana Tech with a degree in Business Informational Technology.
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