A Mississippi volunteer firefighter passed away Monday due to injuries sustained after falling from a fire truck.
Terry Dykes, 58, died Monday at a hospital in Tupelo after the fall, according to Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green. Dykes reportedly was part of a fire crew responding to a grass fire when he fell, resulting in major head trauma that resulted in his death.
Union County Circuit Clerk Donna Treadaway posted a tribute online to Dykes, noting that the Union County Courthouse will be lit in red lights in his memory.
“He was so dedicated to his community and was fighting hard to keep it safe when his accident happened,” Treadaway wrote on Facebook. “No one will ever understand why this happened to such a sweet family. I know one thing for sure, this family has a lot of prayers going up for them and will continue in the days ahead.”
According to Mississippi Firefighter’s Association officials, Dykes is the first recorded line of duty death of a firefighter in Union County history.
