SPARTANBURG, S.C. --
Firefighters gathered Sunday to remember a fire captain who died in the line of duty 20 years ago.
Capt. Lloyd Horton's ladder buckled and dropped the Spartanburg firefighter 50 feet into a fire below.
Assistant Fire Chief Dale Worthy arrived at the scene shortly after Horton's fall.
He said, "I heard something crack. I turned around and looked, the ladder was going down. He never would ask anybody to do anything he wouldn't do, and I think that was what he was demonstrating that morning."
Horton died from his injuries a few years later.
His family, friends and former co-workers honored his sacrifice on Sunday.
Horton's son Ricky is currently a Spartanburg firefighter.
He said that he is glad the department honored his father's service to the community.
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