Buffalo man hailed as a hero for rescuing 24 people in the blizzard during the Christmas holiday
Police say they have found the local hero who is credited with saving several lives and two dogs after he broke into a Buffalo-area school on Dec. 23. 2022 to find shelter from the deadly winter storm in Western New York.
The Cheektowaga Police Department said they had identified “Merry Christmas Jay,” who had broken a window to bring more than 20 people inside Pine Hill School as a winter storm raged. He is 27-year-old Jay Withey, a mechanic from Kenmore, New York.
“We identified the amazing Jay with the help of his friends and family!” the police department said on Facebook. “Our Chief was able to speak to him and express our gratitude for his heroic actions.”
Withey was recognized for his selfless actions during the storm, which helped several people who were out of fuel and trapped in the blizzard.
He explained that his truck got stuck on the road, and he could not find shelter in town.
“I walked to the houses to see if I could find shelter, any house that had lights on. I had $500 that I was offering, to sleep on their floor,” Withey said.
After being turned down by everyone, he walked back to his truck defeated and with a new fear he had never experienced.
“It’s the only time in my life I actually thought I was going to die.”
He spent most of the night sleeping in his vehicle with two strangers, running the engine to keep warm. By Christmas Eve morning, the truck was running out of fuel, and they had to find a better shelter.
“Off to the left, I could see there was a school about 600, 700 feet away from us. I knew the power would be on, there would be heat in there and I was guaranteed there would be food in there,” Withey told the station.
After Withey broke into the school, he went back outside and braved the elements to gather others who were stranded in the storm. In total, he helped 24 other people into Pine Hill School, where they found shelter and food and were able to use the restroom.
As the storm began to move away from the area late Christmas Day and everyone was ready to leave, “Merry Christmas Jay” found the school’s snowblower and cleared all the vehicles that belonged to his survival pack.
Before leaving, Withey fixed the broken window using cardboard and duct tape and left a note apologizing for breaking into the school.
“To whomever, it may concern, I’m terribly sorry about breaking the school window and fore breaking in the kitchen,” the letter wrote. “I had to do it to save everyone and get them shelter and food and a bathroom. Merry Christmas Jay.”
A keyholder at the school had received an alarm about a break-in on Friday evening, but police couldn’t immediately respond due to the deteriorating weather.
When an officer eventually made it to the school later that weekend, he found the note from “Merry Christmas Jay.”
Cheektowaga police reviewed surveillance footage from inside the school and said they “witnessed people taking care of people.”
“There was a freezer full of food, but no one touched it. They only ate what was necessary to stay alive. They used the gym for the kids to play and pulled the smart boards out of the classrooms to watch the news for updates,” the Cheektowaga Police Department said.
“They had 2 dogs they were also attending to. When they were finally able to leave safely, you never would have known anyone was there.”
The Cheektowaga Police Department sent out a tweet asking for assistance to find the hero. After several hours of searching, police assured that Withey would not face any charges, but may face the thanks of a grateful community.
Withey said the survival group is now a family and is planning a summer get-together.
“This group of amazing people took care of each other and the building they found shelter in,” police said.
Sources:
- https://youtu.be/DZda9jhc9RA
- https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/jay-withey-new-york-blizzard-hero
- https://nypost.com/2022/12/30/buffalo-man-jay-withey-known-as-merry-christmas-jay-hailed-hero-for-rescuing-people-in-winter-storm/
- https://readloud.net/
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