A 60-year-old volunteer firefighter died on Saturday evening shortly before 8 pm near La Chapelle-d’Angillon, a small town situated 36 kilometres north of Bourges, in the Cher department (Centre-Val de Loire).
The firefighter was on his way to a house fire in an off-road pump-tank van (FPTHR), alongside his colleagues, when, for reasons as yet unknown, the vehicle left the road and overturned. In the accident, the 60-year-old, who held the rank of staff sergeant and had recently retired, sadly lost his life.
The Home Secretary responds
According to our information, the other crew members on board the lorry involved in the accident were attended to by firefighters from neighbouring stations and are not believed to have suffered any serious injuries. According to a statement from the Home Office, his son, who is also a volunteer firefighter, was in the van alongside his father at the time of the accident.
The SDIS 18 expressed its deep sadness and offered its sincere condolences to the bereaved on social media. Gérard Collomb, the Minister for the Interior, was keen to pay tribute to "the unwavering commitment and dedication of all French volunteer and professional firefighters, who constantly put their lives at risk to protect the lives of others, and who thus deserve the recognition and gratitude of all citizens".