KWOS Jefferson City News Authority
You’ll see American and Missouri flags flying at half-staff until sunset today (Saturday) at every firehouse across the Show-Me State, in honor of fallen Boone County Fire Protection District assistant chief Matthew Tobben. His funeral is this morning in eastern Missouri’s Union. Governor Mike Parson has also ordered flags to be lowered at half-staff today at all government buildings in Boone County and at Kingdom City’s Fire Fighter Memorial of Missouri near I-70.
“Assistant chief Matt Tobben’s life was defined by courageous, selfless public service,” Governor Parson said in a written statement. “Within five days, Mr. Tobben took part in two daring rescues of flooding victims in dangerous swift water conditions, and that’s just one example of his nearly 20 years of commitment to the wellbeing of his fellow citizens,” the statement reads, in part.
Governor Parson’s order also notes that Mr. Tobben helped rescue a horse in the Columbia area on the Fourth of July.
Mr. Tobben drowned early Monday morning after rescuing two pedestrians who were stranded in trees during flash flooding in Columbia’s Bear creek. Boone County Fire Protection District officials say the boat lost power before it took on water and capsized in the creek. Boone County Fire assistant chief Gale Blomenkamp told reporters this week that the flash flooding happened at Rangeline and Bear Creek, near a Casey’s:
“During the rescue operation after they had made the rescue of the two individuals, they called out a Mayday for the boat had lost power. So when they lost power they called for the Mayday as the boat was then being carried downstream is when it capsized and all four occupants of the boat were thrown out at that point. Chief Tobben never did resurface when he was thrown out. He did make one attempt to grab a tow line but after that he was not seen again,” Blomenkamp told reporters this week.
The 42-year-old Tobben started with the Boone County Fire Protection District on May 1 as the district’s training chief. Mr. Tobben had previously served with the Union Fire Protection District for 19 years, rising to the rank of assistant chief. Tobben had been a member of Missouri Task Force One since 2012 and rose to the rank of rescue squad officer, according to Governor Parson. The governor says Mr. Tobben had been deployed to seven national disasters as a Missouri Task Force One member.
Visitation for Mr. Tobben was Friday at Union’s Oltmann Funeral Home. The funeral services are set for 11 o’clock this morning at East Central College in Union. More than 1,000 firefighters and civilians from across Missouri and other states are expected to attend. The funeral will include bagpipes.
