Jul 25, 2008 12:58 pm US/Eastern
Beloved NYC Firefighter Dies Rescuing Son
Martin Simmons Of Ladder 111 Saved Son From Lake Tahoe While Vacationing
By CBS 2's Carolyn Costello
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Martin Simmons, 41, drowned rescuing his 10-year-old son from the chilly waters of Lake Tahoe.
CBS
Colleagues say he would've given his life for a stranger. A veteran NYC firefighter is dead, killed while saving his son.
41-year-old Martin Simmons drowned rescuing his 10-year-old boy from the chilly waters of Lake Tahoe.
Simmons' colleagues and friends at Ladder 111 are having a pretty tough time dealing with this, the loss of their brother, a member of their family. But as you can imagine they say it is no surprise that a man who saved lives for a living, would die saving his son.
Firefighters at Ladder 111 take no breaks from saving lives, even when they lose one of their own.
Simmons, a 17-year veteran of the department, died Monday night while on a family vacation boating in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. His son got a leg cramp while swimming, prompting Simmons to dive in.
"He would do that for any stranger in this neighborhood, without a blink of an eye. So, now it's a family member, obviously there are no options, there are just no options," says Joe Honan.
Firefighters say Simmons loved his job and his family and was looking forward to this vacation for weeks.
"He was always looking forward to being with his kids and his family. That was his number one priority," says Honan.
Simmons was a father of three. Fellow firefighters at 111 lost 5 of their own back on September 11, and according to witnesses and officials involved, there was a huge outpouring of support from the community. It appears as a similar amount of support will be shown Friday night, as the community looks to plan a vigil to show their support for firefighters and to say thank you for all that they do and sacrifice.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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