Honorees

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Year Honored
2001
Honoree
James G Hinson
Agency
Mebane Fire & Rescue
Agency City
Mebane
Agency State
NC
Last Call
8/27/95
Cause of Death
Other Trauma
Biography
So, when the beeper rang out, the Mebane firefighter didn't hesitate. Thanks to Gregg Hinson, a motorist trapped by floodwater lived to see another day. Unfortunately the floodwaters took Hinson instead. "He gave his life for another, you can't go any better way than that," stated Hinson's brother.<br /> <br /> Gregg Hinson, 34, drowned in the swirling floodwaters of Highway 119 in Alamance County, North Carolina. Hinson and a number of other firefighters were called to rescue a motorist trapped in his vehicle by floodwaters. The terrain dropped off on the upstream side making it impossible to make a "point to secure." A parallel lifeline was put in place, but the car began to slip off the side of the embankment into the swollen creek, at which point the motorist scrambled to free himself of the endangered vehicle. Hinson rushed to pull the occupant from the car and in doing so, the makeshift safety line shifted. Hinson pulled the driver clear as the vehicle disappeared over the edge. Hinson released the driver into safety just as he and two other firefighters were swept over the edge. Hinson became lodged against a power pole guide wire; the hydraulics kept forcing him under the water making the rescue task extremely difficult. Several minutes passed before he was freed. Every attempt was made to jumpstart Gregg Hinson's life, however too much time in the floodwaters had claimed his life.<br /> <br /> Gregg Hinson was a Mebane, North Carolina Emergency Medical Technician. He had been an active member since joining the department in 1991. He had always been attracted by the adventure and the desire to help people. "It's just one of those freak things," Keith Buckner, one of Hinson's co-workers and the one who pulled his friend from the shallow waters, stated. "We did everything by the book, but things just turned sour on us." Courage and heroism were words used to describe the young firefighter. "He was the kind of guy that if you knew he was with your kid, you'd know they'd be safe," stated Pastor Greg Clark. Flags were flown at half-mast in Mebane in Hinson's memory.<br /> <br /> His wife Lisa, and their two children Alex James and Ciara Marie Hinson survive James Gregg Hinson.<br /> <br /> Honored 2001