‘We lost one of our own’: 20-year-old firefighter dies on duty after suffering medical emergency
HICKORY, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) - A 20-year-old North Carolina firefighter died on duty in Catawba County early Thursday morning.
According to the Hickory Fire Department, Jake Bridges, a certified Level II Hickory Fire Department firefighter and EMT, began experiencing a medical emergency after returning to the station after 5 a.m.
He was rushed to the hospital, but he did not survive.
“It is with a heavy heart that I deliver the news that no fire chief ever wants to deliver. We lost one of our own, Hickory Firefighter Jake Bridges, while on duty,” Hickory Fire Chief Matt Hutchinson said.
Officials said Bridges and crews had just worked on extinguishing a structure fire that started shortly before 2 a.m.
According to the department, fellow firefighters, first responders and medical personnel all tried to save Bridges.
The department stated that it is working to gain a deeper understanding of what happened.
“We are working with our state partner agencies to gain a better understanding of this tragedy,” Hutchinson said.
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