A volunteer firefighter with a rural Texas department has died after suffering a cardiac event while battling a house fire a week earlier.
The Times Record News reports that firefighter Charles Patterson, a member of the Bowie Rural Volunteer Fire Department, complained of chest pains and collapsed on the morning of Dec. 1 in the front yard of a burning home while he was working a hose line.
Emergency personnel on the scene immediately provided medical care and Patterson then received further treatment at Wise Health Care System in Decatur. Although he made some improvement after arrival, the 60-year-old firefighter remained in critical condition and on Thursday succumbed to his injuries.
Bowie Rural Chief Randall Preuninger told the Record News that Patterson served for many years with the Salona Volunteer Fire Department prior to the formation of Bowie Rural in 2007 and also served with the Stoneburg VFD.
"Charlie was our friend and brother who we will miss dearly," Chief Preuninger said. "He was a good fireman and a major asset to our department from taking care of communications to helping take care of our fundraiser. Charlie will be greatly missed, gone, but not forgotten."
A funeral service for Patterson, who is survived by his wife Connie and daughter Bethany, was planned for Saturday afternoon.
