The widow of a Claremore firefighter who drowned in an attempted rescue during a flash flood is suing the city after a notice of claim that was filed last year went unanswered.
Shelli Farley filed the initial notice Oct. 6 and accused the city of negligence in the death of 44-year-old Capt. Jason Farley, who was sucked into a drainage pipe while attempting to rescue a woman and six children stranded at a birthday party on May 23, 2015.
Firefighters were attempting to rescue the party-goers from a flooded duplex in the 600 block of Archer Court when Farley and Lt. Zane James were pulled into the storm drain by the rushing water. James was ejected from the pipe and survived, but Farley remained trapped in the pipe. His body was recovered a short time later.
The claim indicated damages of $2 million and alleged the city at some point removed the grates from the 36-inch drainage pipe, leading to Jason Farley’s death. According to the claim, a city-hired engineering firm identified the Archer Court duplex as a problem area for flooding in 2009, and officials were aware of the danger when the grates were removed.