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Spring Valley crews have busy weekend

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SPRING VALLEY — Emergency medical service crews in Spring Valley had a busy weekend that continued into Monday.

Two pedestrians were struck on bicycles, 13 were rescued in the Little Miami River and a house on Bellbrook Avenue caught on fire, requiring mutual aid from other departments.

Both cyclists were taken to the hospital, one by CareFlight and one by medic. The CareFlight victim was struck by a commercial truck on Bellbrook Avenue around 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

The second was hit around 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon when a pickup truck clipped the biker with a side mirror. Neither driver stopped, according to Fire Chief Marvin Moeller. Police do have descriptions of the vehicles, he said.

Both were expected to survive, according to Moeller.

All 13 who were in canoes on the Little Miami survived after crews needed five boats and nearly 30 minutes to locate them on Sunday afternoon. The group launched their canoes at Bellbrook Canoe Rental on Washington Mill Road and were capsized on the river when an unexpected storm hit in the late afternoon.

Some were able to grab trees while others made it to the edge of the bank, Moeller said. Members of the group called for help but rescue crews were unable to pinpoint their location for a while because bridges are not marked.

“We searched the river up and down until we found everybody,” Moeller said.

It’s the second bad-weather water rescue on the Little Miami this summer, but Moeller said this group launched its trip under good conditions.

“When they went in the water it was sunny outside,” he said. “Then the big storm rolled in.”

There were no injuries.

The fire in the Bellbrook Avenue home required mutual aid from the City of Xenia, Xenia Township, Sugarcreek Township and Bellbrook. Crews arrived shortly before 8 a.m. and just a couple minutes after being dispatched and found the front of the home fully involved.

“The fire had a pretty good start,” Moeller said.

After an aggressive knockdown, the blaze was under control within 15 minutes.

The home did suffer smoke and fire damage but is not a total loss, Moeller said. The homeowner went to the hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. A firefighter was treated and released from the hospital with a minor injury.

The state fire marshal was called in to investigate, which is the regular practice by the Spring Valley Township Fire Department due to staff and budget concerns.

Moeller said the department could always use more volunteer firefighters and ems personnel.

By Scott Halasz

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Contact Scott Halasz at 937-502-4507.