Former Hauppauge Fire Chief Stephen Feron died suddenly while training with the Suffolk County Urban Search and Rescue Team.
Feron died during water rescue drills, according to a Facebook post by the Hauppauge Fire Department.
According to FirefighterCloseCalls.com, Feron was attending a training program on the use of personal watercraft in rescue operations at Smith Point County Park in Shirley.
Shortly after returning to land, he suffered a medical event.
Life-saving measures were administered by other USAR members and life guards followed by EMS.
He was transported to the hospital with vital signs, but unfortunately died at the hospital.
His body was taken to the medical examiner’s office by the Central Islip Hauppauge Ambulance Company, where neighboring fire departments gathered to pay their respects, according to the statement.
Feron was a second-generation fire chief in the hamlet; his father, also named Stephen, served as chief from 1985 to 1988, officials said.
