Maitland Fire-Rescue to Reunite Rescuers with Crash Survivor
The Maitland Fire-Rescue Department will recognize three heroes on Friday, reuniting them with the driver they rescued from a vehicle that crashed last month into a retention pond near Maitland Boulevard.
A brief ceremony is scheduled at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at Fire Station 45, located next to City Hall at 1776 Independence Lane in downtown Maitland. Representatives with the Maitland Police Department and the City of Maitland also will attend.
Firefighters will make a presentation to Michael Ciurea, Jeffrey Brownlow and Troy Peoples for their efforts to help save Michael Cliver in the vehicle accident. Cliver, who recovered for several days at the hospital, will meet the others for the first time.
“We are thankful for the quick, selfless actions on that day to rescue a driver from a submerged vehicle and to perform CPR until fire and police departments arrived,” said Maitland Fire Chief Will Watts. “Their bravery and medical assistance resulted in a positive outcome that we are proud to recognize.”
Maitland fire and police were called at 9:42 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, after Cliver’s 2007 sport utility vehicle veered off of a frontage road parallel to eastbound Maitland Boulevard, crashed through a fence and into a retention pond just east of Maitland Summit Boulevard.
Ciurea and Brownlow rushed to the scene and dove into the pond to pull Cliver from the submerged vehicle. Peoples joined efforts to perform CPR and help to revive Cliver.
Maitland emergency crews transported Cliver to Orlando Regional Medical Center. The Orange County Fire-Rescue Department assisted in searching the pond to verify that no other vehicle occupants were involved in the crash.
Cliver’s family later reported that he drove through the night and possibly was fatigued prior to the crash.