Surviving Yarnell Hill hotshot: ‘I miss my brothers’
Jul 9, 2013, 1:18 PM | Updated: 1:37 pm
PHOENIX — A firefighter who was serving as a lookout when 19 members of his hotshot crew perished in a fire read a special prayer at a memorial service on Tuesday.
Brendan McDonough was over a mile away from his crew when they were overtaken by the Yarnell Hill Wildfire. None of them survived.
Dressed in green pants and a black shirt, McDonough was greeted by a standing ovation and received hugs from all officials on the dais, including Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and Vice President Joe Biden.
After reading the Hotshot Prayer, McDonough said he misses his brothers and thanked the community for all the assistance and support they have offered him and his family. He then left the stage.
