A true miracle appears to have happened in Mahoning Township during one of the worst winter storms to hit the area in recent years.

Around Feb. 1, Winter Storm Orlena dumped nearly 2 feet of snow in the area and throughout the northeast. At the recent meeting of the Mahoning Township Supervisors, roadmaster Nevin Frey relayed the story.

Frey said two plows were sent to Breezewood Drive, a road that goes off Route 902 about 1,800 feet west of the township building. Ordinarily, that road is one of last that gets plowed, but for some reason, he decided to send two trucks up that road earlier to give it a quick clearing.

The drivers, Christopher Moses and Ronald Wenrich, started up the road to plow when they came across a car stuck along the side of the road. They could just about make out footprints in the snow. They stopped the trucks, got out and followed the tracks up a hill, but then the tracks just stopped.

About 18 feet away, they noticed a lump of snow that seemed oddly suspicious. They brushed the snow from that mound of snow and found the body of Paul Fichter, a Mahoning Township resident; alive, but barely.

Fichter’s car had broken down, and he was walking to his home but became disoriented in the storm and fell into a pond. He was able to climb out but then rolled down an 8-foot embankment.

The drivers called the Carbon County Communications Center for an ambulance. However, with the snow coming down, the ambulance had a difficult time getting out. Frey sent a plow to help guide the ambulance to the scene.

In the meantime, Moses and Wenrich got every possible piece of clothing they could find and wrapped them around Fichter and elevated his arms and tried to keep him as warm as possible.

It took about 30 minutes for the ambulance to reach them. Fichter was transported to St Luke’s Lehighton Campus. He survived the ordeal and is home again.

Frey said, “Normally that road is done last; but, for some reason I sent Wenrich and Moses up there. With the way the snow was coming down, another 10 minutes and they would not have been able to see that pile of snow covering Fichter.”

This was the first time several of the supervisors heard the story, and they are planning on doing something to honor Moses and Wenrich for their heroism.