A Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad member who was injured in a storm-related rescue attempt has passed away, Township police announced Monday morning.
Michael Kenwood, 39, had been admitted to the hospital in critical condition with undisclosed injuries after attempting a rescue early Saturday morning. He became injured after being swept away by the current while approaching a vehicle stranded in the water.
Kenwood and another swift-water rescue technician responded to a report of a submerged vehicle on Rosedale Road at approximately 4:35 a.m. on Sunday, according to a Township Police press release. After the pair approached the vehicle, tethered together for safety, they decided that conditions were too dangerous to attempt a rescue.
As the rescuers started to pull back, they fell and were swept to a wooded area where they became detached, volunteer squad deputy director Greg Paulson ’98 explained to The Princeton Packet. The other rescuer was able to safely pull himself out by a tree. He was hospitalized on Sunday and has since recovered.
Kenwood was dragged down by the current. He was rescued by the squad’s backup team downriver and was admitted to the University Medical Center.
Rescuers later discovered that the stranded car was empty. They believe that the passengers fled the vehicle after seeing the water and escaped safely.
Gov. Chris Christie incorrectly stated on Sunday morning that Kenwood had died, but his office corrected the statement later in the day, saying that the governor was given inaccurate information.
Kenwood's death is the only reported casualty for the Princeton area, which experienced flooding, road closures and power outages due to heavy rain and high winds from Hurricane Irene. A flood warning for the area remains in effect until Monday afternoon.
The latest counts place the national death toll from Hurricane Irene at 22 deaths, according to CNN. A woman in New Jersey was also killed when flood waters swept away her car, Christie said at a press conference on Sunday.
Township Mayor Chad Goerner instructed all residents to weather the storm at home. The Township has made automated calls to all residents reminding them to stay inside, he said on Sunday.
All University offices and events will be closed on Monday except for essential staff, the University announced in a press release. All campus events scheduled for Monday are canceled. Dining services for those on campus will continue at their normal hours at Whitman College. For residents needing shower services, the University kept Dillon Gymnasium open until 10 p.m. on Sunday.
The University's Office of Communications is closed today due to weather conditions and could not provide comment. The University plans to update its report of storm conditions in a press release later this afternoon.
Bill Kirby, a sound engineer at McCarter Theatre, posted a picture on Twitter of a large tree branch that had fallen in front of Nassau Hall, adding that there was "lots of minor tree damage around."
As of Sunday afternoon, the area had received between six and nine inches of rain and was experiencing winds between 25 and 35 miles per hour, according to the Township Police Department.
In the Township, Quaker Road, Mercer Road and Alexander Road remain flooded, according to The Princeton Packet.
Faculty Road remains closed between Washington Road and Elm Drive due to a downed power pole, along with Alexander Road and Harrison Street at the D&R Canal. Route 207 north and south of Princeton, Route 27 north of Princeton and Route 1 east of Princeton are also closed, according to a University press release.
Within the Township, Ewing Street, Herrontown Road, Lambert Drive, Herrontown Cicle, Adams Circle at Riverside Drive and Route 206 at Birch Avenue are closed due to a downed power pole, the Township Police released Sunday.
PSE&G, the local electric provider, has been informed of the power outages throughout town and is working to fix them, the Township Police said in a tweet.
Sarah Morgan ’15, who was in Princeton at the time of the storm, said that it “wasn’t quite as bad” as predicted for the area.
“We were prepared for catatstrophic damage. It wasn’t that bad, but it was pretty bad for us. We had a lot of water in our basement, and we still have no power,” Morgan said. She said that a tree fell on a telephone pole on Jefferson Street where she lives.
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