Princeton EMT Michael Kenwood Laid to Rest

East Windsor resident Michael Kenwood, a Princeton EMT, was laid to rest in Paramus Wednesday afternoon, three days after he attempted a water rescue during Hurricane Irene.

"He was doing what he was trained for, was dedicated to and loved," Sheila Kenwood Lobel, Michael’s mother, said at the funeral.

She said her son was adventurous and intelligent.

Besides friends and family, first responders from across the state turned out to say goodbye to one of their own.

Local rescue workers have expressed their condolences for the tragedy and admiration for Kenwood’s heroic actions.

"We were really saddened by his loss, Mike was our IT consultant and he had indelible links to our organization," Kingston Fire Chief Lloyd Mathis said this week. "But we're so proud of his dedication and sacrifice as an EMT."

It was early Sunday when Kenwood and a fellow EMT responded to Rosedale Road in Princeton in an attempt to reach a flooded car.

Kenwood and his colleague were separated by the water’s current and the next time the colleague saw Kenwood, he was face-down in the water.

He had been submerged for more than five minutes, his mother said.

Kenwood was admitted to the intensive care unit at the University Medical Center in Princeton, but died the next day. Kenwood, 39, lived in East Windsor where he owned Kenwood Technical Consulting on Brooklawn Drive.

He leaves behind a wife and three-year-old daughter.