ONEIDA, N.Y.-- After spending two months in the hospital, being treated for fourth degree burns, Oneida firefighter Mitch Dryer has been released from University Hospital.
Don Hudson, Oneida's Fire Chief says, "This is a great day for us. This is a homecoming for everybody."
It was April 22, 2007 when a fire broke out at the City Lanes bowling alley.
Heavy flames tore through an un-sturdy roof, and forced the roof to come tumbling down, right onto Mitch Dryer.
Hudson says, "It's the nature of the beast and unfortunately it comes back and gets us."
It took a while for Dryer's colleagues to dig him out, but when they did, they found him with blistering burns, all over his body.
Chris Monahan spent the last two months treating Dryer's injuries. He even had to amputate his arm. He says, Dryer is lucky to be alive. "This is probably one of the worse accidents I've seen cause his burns were deep, he had 4th degree burns which is right down to the muscle of the bone."
Dryer's friends say luck has nothing to do with it.
Hudson says, "If anybody is going to come back and be fantastic, it's going to be him."
And when it was time for Mitch Dryer to leave the hospital, he was greeted with open arms. As he was wheeled out, a small group of people started to cheer. While members of other departments, lined up in his honor.
Hudson says, "He's doing good, his spirits are good, his mindset is great."
Eventually, he was brought to his car where his wife would drive him to Oneida.
Hudson says, "When we get back to the city, we're going to put him on the tower ladder, which is where he drove to the fire in."
And now that it's over, Dryer can return to his department, and to his friends.
Republished with permission of WSYR-TV.
