Camden, New Jersey, firefighter dies after falling in icy Delaware River water, officials say
A Camden, New Jersey, firefighter died after falling into the ice-covered Delaware River in the city Thursday, according to officials.
Fire Chief Jesse Flax said the firefighter was attempting to board a boat at the Wiggins Park Marina for a routine maintenance check when he fell into the water, sparking the rescue effort.
"The city of Camden's prayers are with the family, because he wasn't just a public servant, he was a husband, a brother, a father that committed his adult life to serving and protecting and being there for our residents in the city," Mayor Vic Carstarphen said in a news conference.
Images from Chopper 3 showed multiple boats, including at least one from the Camden Fire Department, on the scene shortly after 11 a.m. Crews were cutting through ice and workers in life vests were in the water searching.
We saw one first responder walk and crawl out on the ice when someone was spotted. That person and several others were able to pull someone from the river.
After the person was pulled out of the water, crews brought them into an ambulance and they were taken to a nearby hospital. Someone could be seen giving the person chest compressions.
The firefighter spent about 30 minutes under the ice, Flax said.
Carstarphen said the city will be there to support the firefighter's family, and thanked the responders who arrived at the scene, including some from neighboring departments.
"Times like this, you realize how fragile life is," Carstarphen said. "In times like this, the city, we come together."
Pete Perez, president of the Camden firefighters union, said the firefighter who died was well-versed in boating.
"Today the city of Camden lost a great firefighter, a brother, couldn't ask for a better person, and knowing him for the long time that I've known him here, he will sadly be missed. I'm devastated to the core," Perez said. "For first responders, police and fire, training, routine things can be inherently dangerous, and today, unfortunately, we learned that."
He said members of the union will have extra support available to them as they deal with this grief.
CBS News Philadelphia's NEXT Weather team says the water temperature near the rescue site was about 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the air temperature was 29 degrees at the time.
When temperatures are this low, hypothermia and loss of consciousness can happen in less than 10-15 minutes.
Ships have had to cut through ice for travel this week after days of frigid conditions caused the Delaware to ice over. On Wednesday, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said the ice has slowed down shipments of road salt that were being delivered to the city on a barge.
Flax said the last times a Camden firefighter died on duty were in 1991 and 2020.