![]() ![]() “Our hearts are breaking for the families, friends and fellow crew members of” the two men, he said.Ġ1:59 Australian bushfire crisis deepens with record breaking temperatures – video report The president of the NSW Rural Fire Service Association, Brian McDonough, said volunteers and staff were devastated by what happened. The prime minister, Scott Morrison, said he would be returning to Sydney from his Hawaiian holiday as soon as possible after the deaths of the firefighters, whom he described as “amongst our most courageous Australians”. “These two brave young men who lost their lives represent, for us, the thousands and thousands of volunteers on the ground today and tomorrow and in the days coming who put their own life, their own safety on the line to protect others,” Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney. The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said the deaths of Keaton and O’Dwyer would have a ripple effect across their community and the firefighting fraternity.įlags were flown at half-mast throughout NSW on Friday. ![]() “Both of these men were very well respected, they were very close, they’re a close-knit brigade, they’re a very community-focused brigade, they work together, socialise together, they’re very interactive together,” he said. The Keaton family, Fitzsimmons noted, has a long family tradition of volunteering. Keaton’s father John was working on the mega blaze at Gospers Mountain northwest of Sydney while his son was at the Green Wattle Creek fire. “They’re ordinary, everyday individuals like you and I that go out and simply want to serve and protect and make a difference in their local community and they don’t ever go out in the knowledge that they might not come home.” “These men and women, our volunteers, are remarkable individuals. “To not be coming home after their shift is a tremendous grief and I applaud the families and the loved ones for their remarkable comprehension of what’s been unfolding,” Fitzsimmons told reporters on Friday. The Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said he had spent the evening with the families of the dead firefighters. The fatal accident occurred at the end of an exhausting day during which it was feared some 40 homes were lost in Buxton, Balmoral, Bargo and surrounding areas as the Green Wattle Creek blaze tore through the Wollondilly shire. #nswrfs /p3Y8zX3hBj- NSW RFS December 19, 2019 Our thoughts are with their family, friends & fellow brigade members. The 2 firefighters killed in a vehicle accident last night are Deputy Captain Geoffrey Keaton 32yrs & Firefighter Andrew O’Dwyer 36yrs, both from Horsley Park Brigade. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |