SHAFFER, Warren E.
Honoring & Remembering Maryland Fallen Heroes
Bowleys Quarters VFD ~ Cowenton VFC
Baltimore County ~ Maryland
August 1, 1971
On August 1, 1971, a series of heavy slow-moving thunderstorms dumped as much as 12 inches of rain in under an hour on Baltimore County's eastside. Flash flooding caused raging rivers & creeks to suddenly overflow their banks, turning what were once roadways into fast moving waterways, flooding homes, washing out bridges, knocking down trees & ultility poles, bursting gaslines, & trapping motorists in their vehicles .
One such incident occurred late that Sunday evening where Philadelphia Road crosses Bean Creek trapping four citizens in an automobile. Firefighters from Bowleys Quarters VFD & Cowenton VFC, along with a local tow truck, were on the scene attempting to rescue the 4 from their stalled car, which was rapidly filling with water. Suddenly, a wall of water slammed into the rescue scene, knocking all into the raging waters. One occupant of the vehicle was later found clinging to a tree branch & was rescued. Tragically, the other 3 occupants, the tow truck driver, & 4 firefighters were drowned.
The 4 Baltimore County volunteer firefighters who tragically lost their lives while attempting to rescue those stranded motorists were:
Bowleys Quarters VFD: Firefighter Warren E. Shaffer was 23 years old and had served 3 years.
Bowleys Quarters VFD: Captain Milton C. R. DeSombre, a United States Coast Guard Veteran, was 49 years old and had served 15 years.
Cowenton VFC: Sergeant Charles Edward "Hoppy" Hopwood Jr. was 42 years old and had served 13 years.
Cowenton VFC: Firefighter Douglas J. Mueller was 18 years old and had served 1 year.
