Line of Duty Death

[Boater Dan]

3RD FIREFIGHTER LODD IN LESS THAN A WEEK IN BELGIUM


Tuesday, January 25, 2011 It is with deep regret that we advise you that the Belgian Fire Rescue services suffered a third LODD in barely one week. The 39 year old Civil Protection Force Fire Rescue FF/Diver Olivier Rouxhet was killed in the Line of Duty during the search for 2 children in the Meuse River. The 12 and 6 year old children have been missing since January 16 when the oldest girl jumped after her sister who fell into the water.
As a part of the recovery efforts, the fire rescue service participated and the FF, Olivier Rouxet, an experienced diver, crew-chief of the diving operation over the the previous days, got into trouble going down in the man-made barrier complex on the river. He gave alarm signals by his security line, but the surface-crew couldn't free him. They immediately started a rescue operation but it was too late. He had been smashed to a pier of bridge by the flow and lost a part of his diving equipment, most importantly his breathing mask. A diver of the Liège Fire brigade was also injured bringing the unconscious FF to the surface. An medical crew start life saving measures but he did not survive. FF Oliver Rouxhet was divorced and leaves a 7 year old daughter. As always, our sincere condolences.


from Fire Fighter Close Calls.com

 

[udtfire]

News > Diver dies in search for missing girls
Diver dies in search for missing girls

VRT
Tue 25/01/2011 - 17:03 A diver working for the Civil Protection Service has died while searching for the two girls that disappeared in the River Maas ten days ago.
The two girls were swept away by the current of the river in the vicinity of the eastern city of Liège.
They disappeared without a trace.
It is understood that the diver too was swept away by a strong current and slammed against the pylon of a bridge. He lost his oxygen mask as a result of the impact. The fire brigade succeeding in freeing the diver, but he died on the way to hospital.
One of the girls ended up in the River Maas when she was playing on the bank. Her elder sister jumped in too in an attempt to save her.
Belgian Interior Minister Annemie Turtelboom (Flemish liberal) visited the barracks of the Civil Protection Service in Crisnée this afternoon to offer her condolences to the family and colleagues of the dead diver.

 

[pantheraba]

Very, very sad. My prayers and condolences to the families of the children and the diver and all involved.