'He was a light of sunshine': Chicago firefighter killed in Lincoln Park fire
CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - A Chicago firefighter has died after suffering a fall while battling a Lincoln Park fire earlier this morning.
The Chicago Fire Department said 39-year-old Firefighter/EMT Andrew 'Drew' Price experienced a serious fall and became trapped during a call at a four-story building on Lincoln Avenue near Fullerton. Price was rescued and then transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition.
He succumbed to his injuries a few hours later.
According to his Battalion Chief Michael McCormick, Price was a 14-year veteran of the department, adored by his peers, and described as a health nut.
"He was a lovely man. He was sweet as can be," McCormick said. "He was a light of sunshine. He never had a bad thing to say about anybody…Everybody loved him. It really stings."
The battalion chief said crews arrived on the scene of the mixed occupancy, four-story building at around 5:30 a.m. for a call of a kitchen fire. Lincoln Station bar and grill occupies the first floor, but it's unclear if that's where the fire originated.
Crews discovered heavy smoke coming from the rear of the building. Crews then attacked the fire with multiple water lines and safely evacuated the building.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the main body of the fire rather quickly, but hotspots still remained. McCormick said Price and several other firefighters were on the roof venting for those hotspots when Price fell through a light shaft. A mayday call was issued immediately.
Firefighters had a difficult time getting to Price, McCormick said, and had to drill a hole in a wall to rescue him. Firefighters eventually managed to get Price out and began performing CPR. He was rushed then rushed to Illinois Masonic.
This marks the fourth Chicago firefighter killed in the line of duty this year. In August, Lieutenant Kevin Ward died after battling a house fire near O'Hare Airport. In April, Firefighter Jermaine Pelt and Lieutenant Jan Tchoryk died on consecutive days while battling separate fires.
"This job is a very, very , very dangerous job, and we go to work, and we never know if we'll come home, so we just ask for everybody to continue to pray for us, pray for his family, and especially his coworkers behind me that still have to go back to work and do this job without their team member," Nance-Holt said.
Mayor Brandon Johnson offered his condolences, issuing a statement:
"Our collective hearts are heavy this morning as we mourn the passing of firefighter Andrew Price, who has fallen in the line of duty battling a fire in Lincoln Park. Andrew gave his life in service to the City of Chicago, taking his position at the front lines of a threat to our safety and community. He made the ultimate sacrifice to protect those in harm's way – a debt we can never repay.
My prayers are with the Price family, his CFD colleagues and those he served with on Truck 44. The City is here to support all those who loved him during this difficult time."
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