A veteran volunteer firefighter in southern Virginia died at his home last week following two responses the previous day.
The U.S. Fire Administration on Tuesday announced the line-of-duty death of Rocky Mount firefighter Herbert Tyler "Butch" Wilcox, 77, who was found unresponsive at home Thursday morning after responding to two fire calls on Wednesday afternoon.
After Wilcox responded to the second call of a brush fire at around 4:05 p.m., he complained of neck and back pain and was examined at a local medical center before being sent home.
At 7:30 a.m. the next morning, the 57-year fire service veteran's wife tried to wake him but found him unresponsive and immediately called 911. Emergency responders arrived and began performing CPR, but after 30 minutes of unsuccessful resuscitation efforts, Wilcox was pronounced dead at his home.
According to a Facebook post by the Rocky Mount Fire Department, Wilcox joined the department in 1961 and at one point served as assistant chief. The post says that over the last several years he was primarily a truck operator and engineer.
"Butch was a great man that dedicated his life to the community he loved," the department said. "His legacy and hard work will be carried forward by the members who had the privilege to serve beside him."
Rocky Mount is a town of less than 5,000 people in Franklin County about 25 miles south of Roanoke.
