WHITE LAKE, NC—A firefighter died Tuesday after she fell while working on a roof.
Mildred Gray Williams, 37, of the 1300 block of White Lake Drive in White Lake, was working on the Bladen County Water Rescue Building with Young's Construction of White Lake, according to a statement released by the Bladen County Sheriff's Office. The company was replacing metal roofing on the building when Williams fell approximately 15 feet, it said.
Emergency workers were called to the building about 10:02 a.m., the statement said. Bladen County Emergency Medical Services, the Bladen County Sheriff's Office and White Lake Police Department responded to the scene, it said.
Bladen County Medical Examiner Chuck Maynard pronounced Williams dead at the scene, according to the statement.
Bladen County Sheriff Jim McVicker called the death a tragic event for the community.
"Because this is a work-related death, we are required to report this incident to the North Carolina Department of Labor for investigation which we have done," he said.
First responders from the area escorted Williams' body to the Cape Fear Valley–Bladen County Hospital. Out of respect, two ladder trucks formed an arch over Mercer Mill Road with the American flag hanging down for the processional to pass through on its way to the hospital.
Bladen County Emergency Services Director Nathan Dowless said Williams' death is a shock to the emergency services community.
"Gray was a firefighter and one of us," he said. "It's tough when it's one of our own, but we will work through this together."
Information about funeral services has not been released.
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