A Kentucky firefighter has died just days shy of his 39th anniversary on the force. Sadly, he died while responding to a tornado last week.
The Laurel County Fire Department confirmed that firefighter Major Roger Leslie Leatherman has died. He passed away on May 16 "following a series of severe weather alerts and emergency dispatches in the region."
Speaking with Fox Weather, Laurel County Deputy fire Chief Terry Wattenbarger mourned the loss of the firefighter. He said that Leatherman "chose a career in public service" and was a "total public servant." Flags were lowered following his death.
"His career, as some may or may not know, the Laurel County Fire Department is a totally volunteer department. He joined the department in 1986, so he was coming up on his 39-year anniversary of being in the fire service," the fire chief said.
Firefighter Dies
So what happened? Leatherman heard a fire alarm go off near his home. Deciding to investigate, he radioed to his station. Unfortunately, that call ended up being his last.
"At 11:48 PM, a call for a trapped person at 291 Hart Church Road was received. Just one minute later, at 11:49 PM, a structural collapse was reported at 382 Sunshine Hills Road, indicating widespread damage in the Sunshine Hills community," the department said in their Facebook statement.
"The male was confirmed deceased and his location was recorded for later identification and coroner response," the department said. "It appears that Major Leatherman was responding to the initial fire alarm when the tornado struck. Upon encountering the injured female, he used his body to shield her from further harm. He was fatally injured in the process. The female was later identified as his wife, Michelle Leatherman who was critically injured. It is unknown if Major Leatherman was aware of her identity at the time due to the extreme darkness, noise, and traumatic events."
