Sergeant Brian Mohl Biography – Wiki
Sergeant Brian Mohl was a Connecticut state trooper who drowned in flooding caused by the debris of Hurricane Ida after his patrol truck was swept away in Woodbury while on duty. Heavy rains from Ida triggered flash flooding across the Northeast on September 2, 2021, resulting in more than 40 deaths. Mohl was pulled out of the floodwaters but was pronounced dead when he was taken by helicopter to a hospital, police said. Mohl served in the state police for more than 26 years.
Mohl was hired by the Connecticut State Police and entered the State Police Training Academy on November 25, 1994, the department said in its press release. He graduated in June 1995 as part of the 105th Training Troop. His first assignment was in Troop A at Southbury. He was promoted to sergeant in May 2000 and transferred to L Troop in Litchfield. He worked at Troop B in North Canaan, Troop & in Bridgeport, and Troop H in Hartford before returning to Troop L in 2008.
Age
Sergeant Brian Mohl has died at the age of 50-years-old.
Family & Siblings
Mohl, 50, is survived by his wife and children.
Cause of Death
Mohl was pulled out of the floodwaters but was pronounced dead when he was taken by helicopter to a hospital, police said. Mohl served in the state police for more than 26 years.
“It is with deep regret and sadness that I report that the State Police today lost a good man who dedicated more than a quarter of a century to protect the citizens of Connecticut. Sergeant. Mohl was committed to helping others, keeping public safety his priority, and always helping his fellow Troopers, ”Colonel Stavros Mellekas, state police commander, said in a statement. “Every death in the line of duty is heartbreaking and the loss of Sgt. Mohl is no different. He was out in the middle of the night, in horrible conditions, patrolling the area for Troop L. He was doing
a job he loved and was hired too early. ”
He was the 25th officer to die in the line of duty in the history of the Connecticut State Police, the department said in a news release. According to The Associated Press, Ida’s remains caused more than 40 deaths from Maryland to Connecticut.
Sergeant Brian Mohl called for help while on patrol around 3:30 a.m. in Woodbury, which is in Litchfield County in northwestern Connecticut, according to The Register Citizen. During the brief conversation with dispatchers requesting help, Mohl said he was near the Jacks Bridge over the Pomperaug River, the newspaper reports. His patrol truck was found mostly submerged in the river, police said.
At a press conference, Mellekas said of Mohl’s emergency call for help: “His vehicle was in whitewater and he knew he was in danger. That was the last they heard from him. They pinged his phone. We dispatched all assets immediately with the fire departments and dive teams, all you can imagine. “He said that at dawn the searchers were able to find his vehicle in the water. When the divers arrived at the vehicle, they did not find Mohl inside. It was later located in the river. Mellekas told reporters that detectives are investigating to determine what led to Mohl’s death.
A State Trooper was swept away by flood waters in Woodbury last night and was transported by Life Star to Yale New Haven this morning. This is a look at the river level at the location that surged 8ft in a few hours. Praying that the trooper recovers. pic.twitter.com/InZuSCEca9
— Ryan Hanrahan (@ryanhanrahan) September 2, 2021
Woodbury Fire Marshal Janet Murray told The Register Citizen that they were called to a report of a vehicle on the river: “We didn’t know he was a state trooper at the time. We were used to fasting water in that area and We knew what resources to call immediately to help. We completed our homework and our thoughts and prayers are with the officer. ” A LifeStar medical helicopter was called to the scene to take Mohl to a hospital, but he did not survive.
Murray told the newspaper that the area where Mohl was found is prone to flooding. “He is known for the rushing waters and flooding in that area,” she told The Register Citizen. “It is possible that the soldier simply did not know. Until midnight, we didn’t have any flooding, and then it just took off. ”
This hydrograph shows the rapid climb of the Weekeepeemee River in Woodbury (close to the confluence of the Nonewaug and Pomperaug River) where a State Trooper was swept away in his cruiser. The river went from 2ft to 10.25ft during the day yesterday – an 8.25ft rise. pic.twitter.com/ti7cCTpDoC
— Ryan Hanrahan (@ryanhanrahan) September 2, 2021
NBC Connecticut meteorologist Ryan Hanrahan tweeted a graph showing the rapid rise of the river in the area where Mohl died, adding: “This is a look at the level of the river at the location that rose 8 feet in a few hours. Praying for the soldier to recover. ”
In another tweet, Hanrahan said: “This hydrograph shows the rapid rise of the Weekeepeemee River in Woodbury (near the confluence of the Nonewaug and Pomperaug rivers) where a state trooper was washed away on his cruise ship. The river went from 2 feet to 10.25 feet yesterday, an increase of 8.25 feet. ”
Mohl was working as a midnight shift supervisor at the time of his death. He lived in Woodbury with his wife. Mohl’s family has not commented. Authorities asked that his name not be kept until the afternoon because his elderly parents were traveling to Connecticut from California and had not been notified of his death.
Mellekas said at a press conference: “He was one of the senior sergeants of the state police. Highly respected and it’s just a tragedy. ”
The Connecticut governor’s office said in a press release that the governor had ordered the flags lowered to half-mast in Mohl’s honor: “The flags will be lowered immediately and will remain lowered until sundown on the date of burial. , which is yet to be determined. The Governor’s Office will send a notification when the flags must be returned to the full staff. Consequently, since no flag is to fly higher than the US flag, all other flags, including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise, must also be downloaded during this same period of time. ”
Tribute
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said in a statement: “The passing of Sergeant Brian Mohl is a shock and a tragedy, and I am incredibly saddened by his loss. He dedicated his career and his life to public safety and protecting the lives of others. His tragic loss is a reminder of the dangers state troopers and first responders put themselves in every day responding to emergencies, and they deserve our utmost respect. Sergeant Mohl served the people of Connecticut with honor and commitment, and for that, he will have our undying gratitude and respect. My heart goes out to his family, friends, and colleagues at the Connecticut State Police, and I ask the people of Connecticut to keep him in their prayers. ”
Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz added: “This is heartbreaking news and I am sorry for his family, his loved ones, and members of the Connecticut State Police. Sergeant Mohl dedicated his life and career to the great task of serving our community and state. May his bravery and courage be long remembered, and may his memory be a blessing to all who knew him. ”
At a press conference, Lamont said: “He was telling everyone to stay safe, to stay home. Let’s weather the storm. That’s not what you do as a soldier. As a soldier, you go out and watch and try to rescue others. Take care of them. And that’s what the police do, they take care of us every day. ”
US Representative Jahana Hayes, who represents the district where Mohl served and died, said at the press conference: “We are all moved by this news. My condolences to the entire Connecticut State Police Force. But this is just a sobering reminder, which my husband reminds me all the time, that every time an officer puts on his uniform and walks out the door, he puts himself in danger. And I don’t think any of us thought we were going to have a press conference to discuss the death of an officer during a weather event. But literally, that’s what this job entails. Every time they walk out the door, there’s a chance they won’t come back. This is just a devastating blow to our community, to our police force, to the family. My condolences to the officer, to his family.
Hayes, whose husband has been an officer with the Waterbury Police Department for nearly 25 years, added: “What he always says is that it doesn’t matter if he’s conducting a homicide investigation or directing traffic. When he’s wearing that uniform, he’s in danger. When he’s wearing that uniform, he doesn’t have the option to leave when other people do. He has to stay to make sure everyone on the scene is safe. I think that is what we are dealing with here. No matter where you are assigned or what you are doing, when you have that uniform you are in danger. ”
