Firefighter Badly Hurt from Fall

[Co11FireGal]

2005-05-26
Firefighter Badly Hurt from Fall
by Beau Minnick
WDTV NewsChannel Five

A 24-year-old firefighter from Stonewood is in serious condition tonight, after falling two stories during an overnight house fire.
It happened around 2:30 am at the City Window and Construction building in Summit Park.

Firefighter Nathan Goff was on the second floor, surveying the building's exterior, when he fell 18 feet.

His injuries do not sound good: three fractures in his neck, a collapsed lung and four broken ribs.

Goff underwent surgery this afternoon at Ruby Memorial.

Crews from Nutter Fort and Stonewood assisted in the fire that started right in front of the Summit Park Fire Department.

Nutter Fort Fire Chief Tom Rohrbough saw Goff fall and land right in front of him.

"That was a pretty good fall," says Rohrbough. "You hate to see one of your fellow firefighters have something like that happen to them."

Goff fell out this door outside the building.

He was checking the exterior for hot spots.

Firefighters say Goff was very active in the community.

They say he dressed up as Santa Claus for the Nutter Forth Fire Department's Christmas celebration.

Email: bminnick@wdtv.com

YOUR HOMETOWN NEWS

Couldn't find a newspaper article, the above is from the website of a local T.V. news station. Firefighter Goff can use all of the best wishes and prayers that we can offer, I'm sure.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Nathan! You're in our thoughts and prayers at MC Co. 11!

[Co11FireGal]

Firefighter Seriously Injured
Posted 5/25/2005 05:21 PM
WBOY T.V. News

A Stonewood firefighter is in a Morgantown hospital with injuries suffered in a two-story fall from a burning building.
Story by Will Jones Email | Bio

It happened early Wednesday morning at the City Window and Construction building in Summit Park.

Nathan Goff was fighting a fire on the second story of this building, when he fell out a door, two-stories up. Goff is at Ruby Memorial with three fractures in his neck, four broken ribs, a bruised brain and a collapsed lung.

Nathan Goff's accident and the extent of his injuries have his fellow firefighters in shock.

"It was just a heart dropping feeling to see something like that happened," says Summit Park Fire Department's Captain Josh Shingleton.

Goff was battling a blaze from the second story of the building when it happened. The six four, 280 pound firefighter was wearing fifty pounds of equipment when he fell out of a second story door and landed on his right shoulder.

"I just hope everyone put their prayers out for him. We want a full recovery," says Nutter Fort Fire Department's Chief Tom Rohrbough. "We're close knit, all fire departments are. We're all one. We just want everything to be all right."

Goff is a volunteer firefighter. He works as a 911 Dispatcher to pay the bills. Fellow volunteer firefighters say they're not concerned with the pay.

"I do it because I like to give back to my community," Shingleton says. "My community has a done a lot for me and this is my way of giving back."

The community is rallying around a firefighter who risks so much, and asks so little. The 24-year-old is covered by workers' compensation and a private insurance policy that the fire department has. That should cover the rest of his lost wages while he's recovering.

[Co11FireGal]

Some good news...


Injured Firefighter Thanks the Public
Posted 5/26/2005 06:27 PM

The Stonewood volunteer firefighter seriously injured Wednesday morning after falling from a two-story building is thanking the community for its support, from his hospital bed.
Story by Will Jones Email | Bio

“It was so smoky. I shined my flashlight out and thought I saw a deck or a landing,” says Nathan Goff, a Stonewood volunteer firefighter. “I thought I would straddle the door and make it easier. When I stepped out, there was nothing there and I just fell.“

That's how Nathan Goff recalls the fall he took from the second story of the City Window and Construction building in Summit Park while fighting a fire.

Now the 25-year-old is surrounded by his wife and other love ones as he tries to recover from the fall that has left him temporarily bedridden.

“It's going to drive me nuts,” he says. ”I don't like to be held down, not being able to get up and be on the move.”

His coworkers at the Harrison County Communication Center say the father of two hasn't allowed the fall to hurt his personality.

“Knowing him, he's probably going to start feeling better faster than what his injury is healing,” says Sergeant Joe Demark of the Bureau of Emergency Service.

“Nathen is a very active boy," says Paul Rasmussen, a telecommunicator. "He wants to be up and going and doing things.”

Goff says he won't be able to return to his job as a 911 Dispatcher for about six weeks. He has been a volunteer firefighter for eight years and says he has no plans to stop doing what he loves.

“It'll be a few months, but I'll be back,” Goff says.

[kentbwj]

Thank God he's going to be okay. I'll keep him in my prayers.

[firenresq77]

Glad to hear he is doing better!!