ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A St. Petersburg firefighter is still recovering months after being injured during a call, as internal documents raise questions about the incident and point to what could be a larger issue involving fire hydrants across the city.
The hydrant involved in the incident has since been replaced, but internal emails obtained by 8 On Your Side suggest there could be multiple hydrants in need of repair.
According to the man’s wife, Courtney Vilimek, the incident began with what she described as a life-changing phone call.
Her husband, St. Petersburg firefighter Tyler Vilimek, was responding to a structure fire near 75th Street and 9th Avenue when a hydrant failed as he worked to establish a water supply.
“He told me that he was hit in the head by this hydrant, and he flew backwards,” she said. “His helmet was thrown off of his head, and he was bleeding from the face.”
Internal documents obtained by 8 On Your Side confirm the failure happened during that fire response.
An email sent hours after the fire from the division chief of safety and training described it as “a complete failure of a city hydrant,” adding that it “blew off its base, striking a firefighter in the face.”
Vilimek’s wife said the impact left him with a traumatic brain injury and a long road to recovery.
“From the beginning, his being in the hospital for six days, I was there at his bedside every single day,” she said. “He has needed assistance at home. He needs help doing his medications. He needs help doing tasks around the house.”