Two Morehead, KY, Firefighters Suffer Separate Heart-Related Issues at Call

Lt. Tony Cooper was performing CPR when he went into cardiac arrest while Morehead's assistant chief was at the hospital when he had chest pains.

Sept. 8, 2025

2 min read

Karla Ward

Lexington Herald-Leader

(TNS)

Two members of the Morehead Fire Department suffered cardiac emergencies while responding to a call to help a patient who was experiencing a medical emergency in downtown Morehead on Thursday night.

Lt. Tony Cooper was performing CPR on the patient when he went into sudden cardiac arrest, the city of Morehead said in a news release.

Cooper’s “fellow first responders immediately stepped in to save him,” the city said.

Cooper was taken to University of Kentucky St. Claire Regional Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition as of Friday morning, according to the city. Cooper was said to be in the intensive care unit “in a medically induced coma.”

Assistant Fire Chief John Northcutt, who is also the Rowan County coroner, was at the hospital when he began having chest pains and was rushed to the cardiac catheterization lab.

The city said Northcutt had two stents placed to repair a blockage in an artery. He was stable as of Friday morning and was said to be recovering in the IC.U alongside Cooper.

The city and Morehead Mayor Laura White-Brown asked for prayers for Cooper, Northcutt and their families.

“Both of these men serve Morehead with courage and selflessness, and now they need our support,” White-Brown said in a Facebook post. “I have had the privilege of growing up around these two men and have seen firsthand all they have contributed to our community, much of it behind the scenes and without recognition.”